r  of  Ca] 
•n  Regi 
y  Fa 


THE  EMPEROR  OF  JAPAN  AND  HIS  SUITE. 

i  Liler  is  well  sel   forth  in  the  above.     Ii 
inrl  a  thinker       In   tl 
mild    tin  dard, 


EXCITING   EXPERIENCES 

IN  THE 
JAPANESE -RUSSIAN   WAR 


By  MARSHALL  EVERETT, 
The  Greatest  Descriptive  Writer  the  World  has  Ever  Known 


/ 


INCLUDING 


A  Complete  History  of  Japan,  Russia,  China  and  Korea. 

Relation  of  the  United  States  to  the  Other  Nations. 

Cause   of   the    Conflict. 


STARTLING  STORIES  OF  THE  WAR  AS  TOLD  BY  THE  HEROES  THEMSELVES.  WONDERFUL 
DESCRIPTIONS  OF  BATTLES  THRILLING  PERSONAL  EXPERIENCES  EXCITING  STORIES  OF 
BRAVERY.  SUPERB  HEROISM.  DARING  EXPLOITS  VIVID  STORIES  OF  JAPANESE  CUNNING. 
HISTORY    OF    EACH     BATTLE    TOLD     BY     BOTH    THE    JAPANESE     AND    RUSSIAN    COMMANDERS 


ILLUSTRATED  WITH 

A  Vast  Gallery  of  Photographs  of  Battle  Scenes,  War  Incidents, 
War  Maps  and  the  Leaders  on  Both  Sides. 


u 


Copyright,  1904 
By 

Hbnkv  Neil 
All  riffhts  reserved. 


TROOPS  LEAVING  TOKIO  RAILWAY  STATION  FOR  THE  FRONT. 

The  Departure  of  the  Imperial  Guard  Division.    Tokio  station  on  that  occasion  was  bright  with 
color,  and  there  was  an  exhilarating  enthusiasm  about  those  who  were  leaving.     Bui  the 
scene  had  its  pathetic  side,  too,  as  all  such  occasions  must  have.         (129) 


REPELLING  ADMIRAL  TOGO'S  SECOND  ATTEMPT  TO  SEAL  UP  PORT  ARTHUR. 

The  design  of  the  Japanese  for  their  second  attempt  to  block  the  harbor  was  to  sink  four  large 
merchant  steamers,  which  they  sent  In  at  2  a.  m.,  accompanied  by  six  torpedo-boats, 
owing  i"  the  combined  efforts  of  the  sea  and  land  forces,  the  steamers  were 
driven  "lit  i if  their  course,  and  sank  at  the  side  of  the  fairway.        (130) 


THE  CZAR  ADDRESSING  A  BODY  OF  IMPERIAL  GUARDS. 

Nicholas  II,  the  Czar  of  all  the  Russias,  who  is  said  to  have  wept  bitterly 
when  the  news  of  war  was  brought  to  him,  quickly  rallied  from  his  depression, 
and  issued  a  series  of  manifestoes  to  his  army  and  navy  calling  for  vengeance 
upon  the  enemy.  (14) 


RUSSIA'S  ADVANCE  TO  THE    PACIFIC. 

This  series  of  maps  and  pictures  is  designed  to  illustrate  Russia's  advance  to  the 
Pacific,  from  the  time  of  Vladimir  the  Great,  in  the  tenth  century,  to  the  present.  Peter 
the  Great,  the  father  of  modern  Russia,  is  naturally  the  chief  figure  in  the  portentous 
spread  of  the  black  cloud.  ^inj 


ENGLISH  CREWS  GOING  ABOARD  JAPANESE  SHIPS  AT  GENOA,  ITALY. 

Before  the  war  the  new  Argentine  cruisers,  Moreno  and  Rivadavia,  were  bought  by 
Japan.  The  scene  represents  the  embarkation  of  a  British  crew  on  board  the  Nisshin,  as 
one  of  them  was  renamed  prior  to  its  departure  for  Japan  on  the  morning  of  January  9th, 
just  a  month  before  the  engagement  at  Port  Arthur.  (22) 


RUSSIANS  ENCAMPED  IN  A  CHINESE  TEMPLE. 

In  their  military  occupation  of  Manchuria  during  the  war,  the  Russian  troops respecteo 
nothing.  They  even  broke  into  the  Chinese  temples  and  hustled  their  gods  aside  to  make 
room  for  their  arms  and  troops.      But  what  could  the  native  do  except  helplessly  protest?    (28) 


TORPEDO  ATTACK  ON  PORT  ARTHUR. 

In  the  above  are  illustrated:  (i)  the  Japanese  attack,  indicated  by  arrows; 
(ii)  the  torpedo  net  under  water  being  penetrated  by  torpedo  cutter;  (iii)  the 
Brennan  torpedo  for  harbor  defense;  (iv)  the  spar  torpedo;  (v)  sections  of  the 
Whitehead  torpedo,  used  by  the  Japanese;  (vi)  explosive  head  of  the  Whitehead; 
(vii)  modern  torpedo  tube,  in  sections,  used  in  Japanese  Navy.  (33) 


OOSSACK  LEADER   RECEIVING  ORDER  FROM   COMMANDER. 

Early  tn  the  war  every  available  Cossack  was  ordered  to  the  front,  as  upon  the  won- 
derful Cossack  cavalry  was  to  fall  the  hardest  tasks  of  the  land  campaign.     The  scene  rep 
resents  a  temporary  Cossack  station,  the  tattered  war  flag   leaning  against  the  gate,  and 
the  striped  posts  as  well  as  the  two  sturdy  guards,  indicating  that  here  is  the  headquarters 


iped  posts 
of  the  commandant  and  staff 


COMING  OUT  OF  VLADIVOSTOK  HARBOR. 

The  f. r^c  offset  of  the  Japanese  attack  upon  the  Port  Arthur  fleet  %?s  an  order  from 
Viceroy  Alexieff  calling  out  the  Russian  fleet  at  Vladivostok.  There  was  a  prompt  response, 
the  huge  battleships  rushing  out  of  the  harbor  to  harass  Japanese  shipping,  threaten  her 
coasts,  and  divide  the  Japanese  fleet,  which  was  blocking  the  harbor  of  Port  Arthur.         (3n 


WANDERING  MUSICIANS  PLAYING  TO  JAPANESE  BEAUTY. 

In  all  the  BO  called  holy  cities  of  Japan  are  found  wandering  musicians,  bound 
by  vows  to  follow  this  life  of  minstrelsy.  Their  chief  instruments  are  the  flute 
and  samisf-n,  and  they  helped  to  pass  away  the  time  of  many  a  Japanese  beauty 
whoso  husband  or  lover  was  at  the  front.  (■") 


PUTTING  THE   RAILWAY  AT  DALNY  IN   GOOD  ORDER. 

The  Japanese  made  several  attempts  to  make  a  landing  at  Dalny,  a  few  miles  north- 
east of  Port  Arthur,  that  they  might  cut  the  railway  at  that  point.  During  one  attempt 
more  than  400  of  their  number  were  sabered  to  death  by  the  Cossack  cavalry.  This  was 
one  of  the  chief  strategic  points  in  Manchuria.  (18) 


COOLIES  AT  WORK  UPON  THE  PORT  ARTHUR  DEFENSES. 

The  repeated  bombardments  directed  by  tho  .Japanese  against  the  defenses  of 
Porl  Arthur  aerved  only  to  Btimulate  the  Russians  in  their  efforts  to  make  them 
Impregnable.  In  this  work  the  Russian  whip  and  the  Chinese  cooley  played  a  lead- 
ing part.  ^      ' 


WARSHIPS  ON  THEIR  LONG  VOYAGE  TO  JAPAN. 

Japan  purchased  of  the  Argentine  Republic  two  twin  cruisers,  christened  the  Kasuga 
and  Nisshin.  With  British  crews  aboard,  they  started  from  G-.noa,  Italy,  on  the  morning 
of  January  9,  1904,  arriving  at  Nagasaki  in  perfect  order,  a  short  time  after  the  attack  on 


Port  Arthur. 


(28) 


A  SIGNAL  TORCH   AT  A  COSSACK  POST. 

In  the  scouting  operations  of  the  Cossacks  in  Manchuria,  the  country  was  so  broken 
and  rugged  that  it  was  often  difficult  for  scattered  bodies  to  keep  in  communication.  At 
times  they  were  obliged  to  fall  back  upon  their  ancient  way  of  signaling  by  means  of  huge 
torches. 


THIS  PICTURE  WAS  PAINTED  IN  1895  BY 

EMPEROR  WILLIAM  II.  OF  GERMANY 

INTENDED  AS  A  WARNING  TO  THE  NATIONS  OF  EUROPE 
OF  WAR  OVER  CHINESE  TERRITORY. 

The  prominent  figure  in  the  foreground  is  an  angel  with  white  wings,  carrying  a  flaming 
sword  in  his  right  hand.  He  is  directing  the  attention  of  the  Nations  of  Europe  to  the  great 
black  cloud  overhanging  China;  also,  to  the  bulky  form  of  Confucius,  the  god  of  the  Chinese, 
who  is  sitting  upon  the  back  of  a  horrible  Chinese  Dragon. 

The  Great  Powers  of  Europe  are  represented  by  women. 

France  is  standing  next  to  the  angel,  with  her  left  hand  raised  to  her  head. 

Germany  to  her  right,  ready  to  fight  the  foe,  has  a  long  sword  in  one  hand  and  bearing  a 
shield  with  the  other,  her  proud"  head  being  crowned  with  the  Imperial  Eagle. 

Russia  stands  behind  and  a  little  to  the  left  of  Germany,  gazing  intently  at  Confucius 
and  the  Dragon. 

Austria  is  grasping,  with  her  right  hand,  the  wrist  of  England's  left  hand.  Austria  wears 
a  liberty  can  on  her  head. 

Kiii; land's  right  hand  rests  upon   a   shield  with  the  Cross  of  St.  George  upon   it.  a 
spear  baing  upheld  by  the  shield  and  England's  right  arm.      A  helmet   covers  the  head  of  the 
royal  and  imperial  figure. 

Italy  is  represented  by  the  lovely  woman  who,  with  uncovered  head,  stands  between 
Austria  and   England. 

Spain,  her  raven  locks  floating  with  the  wind,  is  at  the  extreme  left  of  the  picture,  her 
straine  1  eves  fastened  upi  n  the  flames  of  fearful  war  which  lighten  up  the  Chinese  God  and 
the  Dragon. 


AUTHOR'S  PREFACE. 

Moved  by  the  immensity  of  the  death  struggle  precipitated  by 
Jap  and  Russ  in  the  far  East,  its  importance  to  Americans  in  com- 
mon with  the  whole  world,  and  the  intensity  of  interest  with  which  the 
war  was  received,  I  have  undertaken  to  record  a  detailed,  con- 
nected history  of  this  epoch  making  period.  Recognizing  the  futility 
of  attempting  to  make  clear  to  the  reader  the  unique  complications  of 
the  situation  without  first  familiarizing  him  with  what  has  led  up  to 
the  strife,  particular  attention  has  been  devoted  to  the  story  of  the 
past.  Thus  I  have  delved  deep  into  the  misty  story  of  long  ago  and 
have  borrowed  without  stint  of  the  wisdom  of  learned  men  of  all  ages 
who  have  left  to  us  the  priceless  heritage,  information  concerning  the 
development  of  their  forgotten  days. 

To  these  innumerable  and  unnamed  contributors  to  the  treasury  of 
human  knowledge  grateful  acknowledgement  is  rendered.  Without 
their  labors  it  would  be  impossible  to  present  an  accurate,  concise  and 
comprehensive  statement  of  the  political,  economic,  traditional  and 
diplomatic  factors  that  brought  Russian  and  Jap  face  to  face  in 
deadly  combat  on  the  frozen  fields  and  arctic  seas  of  Korea  and  Man- 
churia. 

It  shall  be  the  aim  in  this  work  to  not  only  acquaint  the  reader  with 
the  stirring  events  of  this,  the  greatest  of  modern  wars,  and  to  transport 
him  with  the  marching  legions  that  made  history  in  the  Hermit  King- 
dom, but  to  lead  him  among  these  contending  people  in  their  more 
peaceful  moments  and  acquaint  him  with  their  racial  characteristics, 
their  cus-toms,  manners,  religion,  antecedents,  their  mode  of  life  past 


AUTHOR'S  PREFACE. 

and  present  and  their  conception  of  the  destiny  that  has  driven  them 
to  arms. 

It  was  no  ordinary  quarrel  that  brought  on  this  frightful  carnival 
of  suffering,  bloodshed,  death  and  destruction.  The  sword  was  not 
drawn  on  the  spur  of  the  moment  under  stress  of  emotion  and  un- 
controllable anger. 

Manifest  destiny  leads  Russian  ambition  eastward.  The  same  potent 
power  turns  Japan's  eyes  westward.  Somewhere  these  energetic 
representatives  of  opposing  systems  were  bound  to  meet.  The  col- 
lision came  when  the  first  shot  was  fired  at  Port  Arthur. 

As  is  the  case  when  two  speeding  express  trains  seek  to  pass  on  the 
same  track,  the  impact  has  proven  something  awful  to  contemplate 
This  record  of  what  actually  took  place  is  intended  to  be  an  accurate, 
truthful  presentation  of  the  developments  of  the  war,  free  from  bias 
or  prejudice.  If  it  serves  to  break  down  prejudice,  to  increase  love  of 
peace,  and  to  illuminate  discussion  of  this  grave  crisis  with  the  light 
of  calm,  sound  reason,  to  set  in  motion  a  wave  of  thought  that  shall 
be  productive  of  a  broader  and  more  philosophical  view  in  the  office, 
workshop,  or  at  the  family  fireside,  the  labor  of  preparing  this  work 
shall  not  have  been  vain. 

MARSHALL  EVERETT. 


PUBLISHER'S  PREFACE. 

With  the  ghastly  traces  of  a  monstrous  war  still  fresh  upon  the  land 
and  sea,  and  the  shock  of  battle  yet  echoing  throughout  the  world  from 
the  theater  of  strife  where  Jap  and  Russ  met  to  determine  which 
should  advance  and  which  retreat,  this  history  of  the  long  predicted 
struggle  for  mastery  of  the  East  has  been  prepared.  Viewed  day  by 
day  as  the  dread  tragedy  unfolded  itself,  its  ever  changing  prime 
features  have  been  indelibly  traced  in  word-picture  by  one  familiar 
not  only  with  the  subject,  but  with  the  unusual  and  unexpected. 

The  civilized  world  was  staggered  with  the  tremendous  possibilities 
with  which  the  situation  was  fraught.  Intense  perplexity  prevails 
as  to  the  "Russian  peril"  and  the  "yellow  peril."  Are  civilization 
and  progress  to  receive  a  setback  from  which  there  will  be  no  escape 
for  centuries?  Is  the  peace  of  the  world  threatened  and  are  the  powers 
of  Europe,  and  perhaps  our  own  country,  on  the  verge  of  a  great  strug- 
gle? 

In  view  of  the  remarkable  situation  this  publication  is  particularly 
timely,  affording  opportunity  to  the  busiest  to  become  familiar  with 
this  greatest  of  modern  problems  without  sacrifice  of  time.  At  the  out- 
break of  the  war  great  navies  and  armies  of  gigantic  proportions  were 
marshalled  throughout  all  Europe.  Even  little  Denmark  was  not  free 
from  the  contagious  war  fever.  England  showed  an  alertness  tha* 
portended  aggressive  activity.  The  thought,  whither  are  we  drifting, 
was  uppermost  in  the  minds  of  the  people  of  the  whole  civilized  world. 

In  the  preparation  of  this  work  diplomat,  military  expert,  globe  trot- 
ter and  statesman  have  all  played  a  part,  so  that  the  reader  will  enjoy 


PUBLISHER'S  PREFACE. 

a  recital  of  fact  and  impression  direct  from  the  fountain  head — the 
man  who  has  seen,  heard  and  felt  the  breaking  storm. 

That  this  will  prove  a  compact  handbook  on  the  far  East  and  its 
bewildering  complications  is  confidently  anticipated.  Never  before 
has  a  topic  so  strange  and  little  understood  been  thrust  upon  us  so 
suddenly  and  so  laden  with  fascination.  Two  civilizations  diametri- 
cally opposed  in  character  and  purpose  have  been  brought  face  to 
face  in  deadly  conflict  for  self-preservation — two  religious,  economic 
and  political  systems  having  nothing  in  common  save  a  deep  seated 
spirit  of  rivalry  have  entered  the  lists  to  settle  by  recourse  to  arms 
the  question  of  survival. 

While  the  story  of  mankind  is  almost  an  unbroken  record  of  warfare, 
it  is  only  at  remote  intervals  that  a  struggle  ensues  which  leaves  its  im- 
print upon  the  world,  changes  the  course  of  civilization  and  makes  its 
influence  long  felt  by  nations  and  peoples  having  no  part  in  the  physi- 
cal strife.  Such  an  epoch-making  conflict  was  the  war  between  the 
Slav  and  the  Jap.  Wrapped  up  in  it  were  questions  at  issue  which 
affected  not  only  the  teeming  millions  of  the  Orient,  but  the  world  at 
large,  particularly  the  United  States  with  an  empire  lying  close  to 
the  theater  of  war. 

It  is  with  a  full  appreciation  of  these  grave  conditions  that  this 
work  is  issued. 

THE  PUBLISHERS. 


TABLE  OF  CONTENTS. 


CHAPTER  I. 

THE  FIRST  SHOT  OF  THE  WAR. 

Was  It  Treachery  ?  The  Historic  Festival  Night.  Grim  End  of  Festivities. 
War,  the  Hell-Born.  The  Skeleton  at  the  Feast.  News  Flashed  to  the 
World 33 

CHAPTER  II. 

THE  SECOND  SHOT  OF  THE  WAR. 

The  Big-  Guns  Boom.  The  Circus,  Japan's  Ally.  Scene  Disclosed  by  the 
Blood-Red  Moon.  Japs  Again  Attack.  Cool  in  Face  of  Death.  Plucky 
Fighting  of  Russians.    Japanese  Spy  System 38 

CHAPTER  III. 

ECHOES  OF  THE  FIRST  SHOT. 

Russian  Disaster  at  Chemulpo.  Heroism  of  the  Russians.  Brave  Men  Cheered. 
Blown  Up  with  Dead  on  Board — How  Russians  Were  Trapped.  Russian 
Transport  Accidentally  Destroyed — Blunders  I     More  Blunders! 66 

CHAPTER  IV. 

PREPARATIONS  FOR  LAND  BATTLES. 

Russians  300,000  Strong.  First  30,000  of  300,000  Japs.  Thoughts  Turn  to 
Dynamite.  War's  Frightful  Cost.  Stories  of  Russian  Brutality.  Freeze 
and  Drown  in  Arctic  Waters.  "The  Weak  Link."  Treason  in  the 
Ranks? 74 

CHAPTER  V. 

THE  CAUSE  OF  THE  WAR. 

Russia's  March  to  the  Pacific.  War  Over  the  Fruits  of  War.  Hermit  Mon- 
arch Has  American  Wife.  The  Great  Commissary  Question.  Lan- 
guage Difficulty 86 


CHAPTER  VI. 

NO  ROOM  FOR  BOTH  IN  KOREA. 

Either  Japan  or  Russia  Had  to  Leave.  Russia's  Manchuria  Promises.  Rus- 
sia Threatens  Korea.  Why  Japan  Defends  It  ?  What  Does  Russia 
Want  of  Korea  ? 93 


CHAPTER  VII. 

NEUTRALITY  OF  THE  UNITED  STATES. 

The  President's  Proclamation.  Warning-  to  the  Citizens  of  the  United 
States.  Rights  of  Belligerents.  Occupancy  of  Posts.  Rights  of  Neu- 
trals at  Sea.     Misconduct  at  Peril 117 


CHAPTER  VIII. 

STORY  OF  JAPAN  AND  HER  EHPEROR. 

Early  Contact  with  the  World.  Martyrdom  for  Missionaries.  Terrible 
Slaughter  of  Christians.  First  American  Visitors.  Rough  Sea-Dog's 
Diplomatic  Victory.     Emperor  Asserts  Himself 124 


CHAPTER  IX. 

STORY  OF  JAPAN  AND  HER  PEOPLE. 

Revelled  in  Sickening  Cruelty.  Lost  Like  Spanish  Armada.  Gigantic  Jap- 
anese Wrestlers.  The  Land  of  Upside-Down.  Early  Bloody  War  in 
Korea.     The  Soldier  an  Aristocrat 129 


CHAPTER  X. 

RUSSIA,  THE  LAND  OF  THE  GREAT  WHITE  BEAR. 

Not  a  Young  Giant.  Why  "Russia?"  Christianity  Introduced  Through 
Royal  Marriage.  The  Ancient  Russian  Republic.  Intrigue  and  Per- 
petual Warfare.     Tartar  Rule  Broken.     Ivan  the  Terrible 137 


CHAPTER  XL 

BIRTH  AND  PROGRESS  OF   MODERN   RUSSIA. 

Peter  the  Great.  Death  of  a  Romanoff  at  Conspirators'  Hands.  Elements 
Prove  Deadly  Enemy.  Russia's  Greatest  Humiliation.  Siege  of  Sebas- 
topol.     Pity  the  Czar 141 

CHAPTER  XII. 

STORY  OF  THE  GRAY  OLD  HERHIT. 

Soldiers  Armed  with  Arrows.  Queerest  People  on  Earth.  Frightened  at  a 
Laugh.  Strange  Marriage  Customs.  The  Pig  Important  to  the  Korean. 
Weird  Medical  Treatment.  Where  Wild  Beasts  Lurk.  10,000  Korean 
Ears  as  War  Spoils 165 

CHAPTER  XIII. 
RUSSIA'S  FIGHTING  POWER. 

The  Eastern  Gibraltar.  Precautions  that  Failed.  A  Railroad  Conductor  Mis- 
taken for  the  Czar.  Russian  Officers  Box  Sailors'  Ears.  The  Vital 
Connecting  Link.  Horror  of  Lake  Baikal  Recalled.  Compared  with 
Santiago  Campaign.  Soldiers'  Diets  Compared.  Russia's  Grim  Warrior 
Leaders 177 

CHAPTER  XIV. 

TORPEDO  WARFARE  OF  JAPAN. 

Japs  Study  Torpedo  Warfare  Closely.  Inexpensive  Hornet  Can  Destroy 
Millions.  Terrors  Suffered  by  Crew.  The  Modern  Mechanical  Fish. 
Close  View  of  the  Death  Dealers.      Cared  for  Like  Hospital  Patient. .  .209 

CHAPTER  XV. 
JAPAN'S  NAVAL  POWER. 

Ready  to  Fight  Without  Pay.  What  Warships'  Names  Mean.  Poetry  in  Each. 
Pagan  Heroine  Honored.      Love  of  Island  Home  Shown 221 

CHAPTER  XVI. 
JAPAN'S  LAND  FORCES. 

Japanese  Leaders  Reviewed.  Yamagata  Had  Rapid  Rise.  Negotiated 
Troublesome  Treat}'.  Swept  Chinese  Away.  How  Jap  Soldiers  are 
Rewarded.     All  Re-rarded  as  Heroes 229 


CHAPTER  XVII. 
RUSSIA'S  MIGHTY  RAILROAD. 

Stretches  Quarter  Distance  Around  the  Globe.  Figures  on  Equipment.  The 
Secret  Chinese  Road.  Government  Was  Victimized.  Work  Started  by 
Czar.      Strong  American  Sentiment.      Railroad  Looses  Vast  Sum 237 

CHAPTER  XVIII. 

MIGHTY  MEN  OF  JAPAN. 

The  Work  of  the  Magician  of  the  Far  East.  Sacrifices  of  Japan's  Lords.  No 
Similar  Event  in  History.  The  Passing  of  Old  Traditions.  Destiny  Fore- 
told. Called  the  "  Bismarck  of  Japan.  "  Spencer  Would  Keep  Foreigners 
at  Arm's  Length 259 

CHAPTER  XIX. 

HOW  INDIA  VIEWS  JAPAN. 

Ancient  Acquaintance  Renewed.  Hope  of  Deliverance  Raised.  Yearns  for 
Federation.  Spark  of  Liberty  Still  Burns.  Suggestion  for  an  Asiatic 
Triple  Alliance.     Is  It  Only  a  Dream  ? 269 

CHAPTER  XX. 

JAPAN'S  YELLOW  JOURNALISM. 

A  Polite  Calldown.  Some  Notable  Exceptions.  Yellow  Journalism  Flourishes. 
The  Newspapers  Got  the  Gold.  The  Lottery  Scheme  Strikes  In.  Sensa- 
tional War  News.     The  Yellowest  One  of  All.     Press  in  Darkness 273 


CHAPTER  XXI. 
WOMAN'S  PART  IN  THE  WAR. 

Expects  Her  Son  to  Return  Victorious.  Faith  as  Necessary  as  Air.  The  Icon 
Smiles  Upon  You  Everywhere.  To  the  War  She  Gives  Family  and  Jewels. 
The  Japanese  Wife.  Cleanest  People  on  Earth.  Worship  Pure  Air.  Wo- 
men Fought  to  the  Death.      Refuse  to  Weep  Over  Dead  Sons 279 

CHAPTER   XXII. 

THE  BRIGHT  VIEW  OF  RUSSIA. 

Commercial  and  Sentimental  Relations.  Anglo-Rebel  Warships.  Son  of  W.  H. 
Seward  Speaks.  Russo-American  Telegraph  Cable  Abandoned.  Do  We 
See  Through  Colored  Glasses  ?  Shouting  Hoarse  Over  Russia's  Hymn. 
Russia  Devoid  of  Snobbishness 307 


CHAPTER  XXIII. 
RUSSIA'S  MENACING  POWER. 

Remarkable  Prediction  of  a  French  Writer.  Prophecies  of  a  Great  Historian. 
A  Note  of  Warning.  Official  Relations  with  Russia.  Russia  Apparently 
Checkmated.      Abolished   the   Serfdom  of   the   Press 321 

CHAPTER  XXIV. 

RUSSIA'S  PROTEST  AND  JAPAN'S  REPLY. 

Is  a  Formal  War  Declaration  Necessary?  The  Chemulpo  Attack  Examined. 
Korea  Declared  Neutrality.  France  Upheld  Russia's  Views.  Poor  Korea 
Mildly  Protests.  Japan's  Formal  Reply  to  Russia.  Refused  to  Meet  Pro- 
posals.    Busy  Preparing  for  War.     Responsibility  with  Russia 331 

CHAPTER  XXV. 
OUR  RELATIONS  WITH  JAPAN. 

Japanese  Admiral  and  Wife,  American  Products.  Japan  Adopts  America's 
Cry.  United  States  Refused  an  Entangling  Alliance.  Americans  and 
Russians  Greatest  Japanese  Tourists.  Explanation  of  a  Polite  Japanese 
Spy.     America's  Friendship  in  Evidence 357 

CHAPTER  XXVI. 
THE  RUSSIANS'  "BENEVOLENT  ASSIMILATION." 

First  Teach  Subject  Races  to  Fear  Them.  An  Asiatic  Commanding  Asiatics. 
First  the  Sword,  Then  Sugar.  Wounds  Quickly  Healed.  England's  Asiatic 
Rule  from  a  Russian  Standpoint.  Russia's  Asiatic  Rule  from  an  English 
Standpoint 365 

CHAPTER  XXVII. 

THE  STORY  OF    HANCHURIA. 

Russia's  Advance  Begins  with  Her  Defeat  in  Crimean  War.  March  of  the 
Great  White  Bear  to  the  Water.  Russia  as  China's  Protector.  Man- 
churia Russia's  Land  of  Promise 371 

CHAPTER  XXVIII. 

HOME  OF  THE  HANCHU  DYNASTY. 

The  Golden  Dynasty  Overthrows  the  Iron.  Manchuria's  Vast  Natural  Wealth. 
Senator  Beveridge's  Account  of  the  Blagovestchensk  Massacre.  What 
of  the  Moscow  of  Asia  ? 377 


CHAPTER  XXIX. 

HOW  THE  WAR  NEWS  REACHED  AHERICA. 

A  Journe3T  of  Fifteen  Thousand  Miles.  Brave  Little  Spark  Again  Under  Water. 
Cost  of  Getting  the  War  News.  The  Russian  Route.  Japan  and  the  Amer- 
ican Commercial  Pacific  Cable. . .    , . . .  .383 

CHAPTER  XXX. 

CHINA,  ANTIQUITY'S  MYSTIC  LAND. 

Were  the  Chinese  From  the  Caspian  Sea  Region  ?  Fiery  Dogs  and  Ungoverna- 
ble Vermin.  Fabulous  Millions  of  Years.  China  in  the  Time  of  Christ. 
Jenghiz  Khan  Wipes  Out  the  Golden  Dynasty.  Early  Warfare  with  Japan 
Over  Korea.       War  Horrors  of  Flood  and  Cannibalism 403 

CHAPTER  XXXI. 
THE  STORY  OF  MODERN  CHINA. 

Dark  War  Cloud  Gathers.  Enter  England  and  America.  Side  Lights  on  the 
Opium  Traffic.  The  Chinese  Worm  Turns.  Reign  of  Slaughter  Con- 
tinues. Peace  at  Last.  More  Strife  and  Bloodshed.  England  again 
Makes  War.       The  Historic  Gordon  on  the  Scene 409 

CHAPTER  XXXII. 
THE  PERPLEXING  WAR  OF  i894-'95. 

The  Chinese  Puzzle  Fairly  Before  the  World.  China's  Real  Weakness  Exposed. 
Like  a  Comic  Opera  Plot.  Fellow  Conspirator  Escapes  Death.  Interna- 
tional Muddle  Begins.  Korean  Army  "  Takes  to  the  Woods.  "  China 
Prepares  to  Root  Out  the  "Wojen.  "  The  Japs  Swarm  Over  the  Great 
Chinese  Guns 415 

CHAPTER  XXXIII. 
THE  BOXER  UPRISING. 

How  the  Eyes  of  the  Nations  Were  Opened.  Critics  of  the  Bible  and  Western 
"Civilization."  "  Squeak  of  the  Celestial  Pig."  Ancestral  Worship  a 
Contributing  Cause.  Missionaries  Charged  with  Bewitching  Children. 
United  States  Saves  China.      Chinese  View  of  Foreign  Invasion 421 

CHAPTER  XXXI V. 
HYSTERIOUS  TIBET,  THE  FORBIDDEN  LAND. 

A  Land  of  Wandering  Shepherds.  Viewed  from  an  English  Standpoint.  Lofty 
Mountain  Ranges  and  Salt  Lakes.  One-Third  Lamas,  Two-Thirds  Com- 
mon  People.  The  Lamas  Oppose  Foreigners.  Their  Wide-Spread 
Suspicion 429 


'£&-JUff-\ 


JAPAN — "What!  NO  NOTE  TODAY?  MY  GOODNESS,  BUT  THAT  MAN  RUSSIA  DOES  HATE 

TO  ANSWER  LETTERS!" 

Drawn  by  R.  M.  Brinkerhoff,  of  the  Toledo  Blade. 

The  International  Mail  Carrier  passed  Japan's  door  so  many  days  after  she  had  written  her 
various  notes  to  Mr.  Russia  that  she  come  to  believe  that  he  was  a  very  poor  correspon- 
dent. After  pondering  and  rubbing  her  chin  a  moment  she  delivered  herself  of  this 
impatient  remark.  Her  impatience,  as  the  world  knows  was  soon  followed  by  decisive 
action. 


POOR  GAUNT  PEACE— "I  JUST  CANT  DO  ANYTHING  MORE  WITH  THOSE  BOYS." 

Drawn  by  R.  M.  Brlnkerhoff,  of  the  Toledo  Blade. 

Poor  Peace,  standing  before  The  Hague  Tribunal,  Is  worn  to  a  skeleton  trying  to  keep  those 
bad  boys,  .Japan  and  Russia,  from  blows,  and  linally  has  given  up  the  task  in  disgust. 


RUSSIA  (HOLDING  UP  THE  ORIENTAL) — "IS  THERE  ANY  DOUBT  NOW  AS  TO  MY  BEING 
THE  GREAT  'PIECE-MAKER?'" 

Drawn  by  R.  M.  Brlukerhoff,  of  the  Toledo  Blade. 


RUSSIA— "WHAT  MIGHT  HATH  JOINED  TOGETHER,  LET  NO  MAN  PUT  ASUNDER. 

Drawn  by  R.  M.  Brlnkerhoff,  of  the  Toledo  Blade. 

The  advice  uttered  by  the  Great  White  Bear,  who  has  helpless  Manchuria  In  his  close  embrace, 
not  deter  Japan  from  running  to  the  assistance  of  the  prisoner.   It  was  no  Joke,  elthar 
for  Manchuria  or  Japan. 


UNCLE  SAM--"  I  MUST  TAKE  A  FEW  PRECAUTIONS,  AT  LEAST." 

Drawn  by  Cartoonist  Maybell,  of  the  Brooklyn  Eagle. 

The  breaking  out  of  the  war  between  Russia  and  Japan  was  the  signal  for  immediate  activity  on 

the  part  of  the  administration  to  complete  the  programme  already  laid  out  which  should 

make  the  United  States  the  third  naval  power  in  the  world.    This  was  Uncle  Sam's 

precautionary  measure  for  keeping  the  fire  from  his  Asiatic  roof. 


■  JAPANESE    TROOPS  6.  JAPANESE  TELEGRAPH  GUARDS  —RAILWAYS 

O  RUSSIAN  a    RUSSIAN  TORTS                         ~~  BOUNDARY    {RAIlWMr 

<DB  RUSSIAN  VESSELS      Z5  HEADQUARTERS  PROPOSED RUSSIAN ^ 

«■  JAPANESE         .*  ti  NAVAL  DEPOTS  JAPANESE  TELEGRAPH 

<=p  BRITISH           ..  mwTEBRITOirrnMHWrMSIA 


\  Ax 


Outline  Map  of  the  Trans-Siberian  Railway. 

CHAPTER  I. 
THE  FIRST  SHOT  OF  THE  WAR. 

Was  It  Treachery?— The  Historic  Festival  Night— Grim  End  of  Festivities— War, 
the  Hell-Born— The  Skeleton  at  the  Feast— News  Flashed  to  the  World. 

'HE  roar  of  the  exploding-  shells  that  broke  the  stillness  of  the 
night  in  the  harbor  off  Port  Arthur  on  Monday,  Feb.  8,  1904, 
will  go  echoing  down  the  annals  of  time  as  the  first  shots  in 
a  warfare  likely  to  mark  one  of  the  great  epochs  in  hitman  his- 
tory. Moving  with  the  silence  of  grim  specters  across  the  lonely 
deep  a  flotilla  of  Japanese  torpedo  boats  approached  Russia's  mighty 
Gibraltar  of  the  East,  crept  in  close  to  where  the  Czar's  fleet  lay  in 
fancied  security  and  scattered  death  and  destruction  over  the  peaceful 
surface  of  the  calm  bay. 

The  Mikado's  bursting  messengers  of  annihilation  proved  the  toc- 
sin that  called  Russia,  the  giant,  sleeping  bear,  to  arms  too  late — 
long  too  late  to  repair  the  damage  done,  the  grim  array  of  huge 
guns  studding  the  hills  and  bristling  from  the  casements  of  the 
fortified  port  roared  forth  defiance  to  the  unbidden  and  unwelcome 
guest. 

Speedily  and  with  the  ghastly  silence  of  its  approach  the  flotilla 
withdrew.  In  its  wake  confusion  and  chaos  reigned.  Great  ships, 
built  to  withstand  the  shock  and  impact  of  battle,  lay  pierced  and  bat- 
tered at  their  moorings.    Decks  and  quarters  were  strewn  with  dead 

33 


34  THE  GREAT  WAR  IN  THE  EAST. 

and  dying.    There  was  work  for  the  repairer  of  battleship  and  fighting 
man.     Aye,  and  for  grave  digger  as  well ! 

WAS  IT  TREACHERY? 

War  had  begun !  The  first  blow  had  fallen.  It  had  descended  un- 
expectedly at  the  dead  of  night  with  crushing  force.  The  sword, 
half  drawn,  had  been  thrust  home  before  the  victim  had  seen  it  leave 
its  scabbard. 

Like  the  cry  of  a  wounded  animal,  Russia  rushed  to  arms.  Treach- 
ery! Is  there  such  a  thing  in  war?  Russia  contends  there  is  and 
that  it  was  practiced  in  that  moment  when  Port  Arthur  was  awakened 
from  its  festivities  to  behold  the  pride  of  the  navy  shattered  by  an 
unexpected  foe. 

THE   HISTORIC   FESTIVAL   NIGHT. 

Port  Arthur,  like  all  other  Russian  centers,  had  dreamed  of  a  war 
that  was  to  come — perhaps.  In  anticipation  of  that  possibility— or 
probability — its  military  and  social  leaders  had  taken  advantage  of 
the  occasion  for  a  last  function  before  the  dread  actualities  of  battle 
might  materialize.  Bright  lights  flashed  throughout  the  town.  Car- 
riages rattled  over  its  thoroughfares.  The  dreamy  strains  of  the 
waltz  and  the  martial  note  of  the  patriotic  anthem  echoed  through 
the  streets.  Beautiful  women  in  the  height  of  fashion  and  brave  men 
in  the  habiliments  of  social  intercourse  lent  life  to  the  gay  scene. 
Wine  and  laughter,  the  unbounded  hospitality  of  rich  homes  and  the 
glitter,  glamor  and  noisy  joyousness  of  the  circus  tent  were  the  order 
of  the  hour.  Naught  suggested  the  war  cloud  hovering  overhead  save 
the  presence  of  silent  sentinels  at  their  posts  and  the  shrill  whistle 
of  the  night  wind  cutting  through  the  rigging  of  the  fleet  of  warships 
lying  at  anchor  in  the  harbor,  each  bristling  with  guns  and  freighted 
with  agencies  of  destruction. 

GRIM   END  OF  FESTIVITIES. 

Tt  was  1 1  o'clock  and  the  merriment  was  at  its  height.  Then  came 
the  awful  transition.     Torpedoes  that  seemed  to  shake  the  very  globe 


THE  FIRST  SHOT  OF  THE  WAR.  35 

burst  forth  in  uproar  and  flame.  The  festive  music  and  the  soft  mur- 
mur of  happy  voices  died  away  in  circus  and  ballroom  and  a  mo- 
mentary hush  fell.  The  hideous  crash  of  warfare,  the  cries  of 
wounded  and  the  groans  of  dying  men  smote  the  ear — a  chorus  of 
terror.  As  on  the  eve  of  Waterloo  the  booming  of  cannon  blasted  the 
dance,  so  now  a  sudden  sweep  of  violence  terminated  the  festivities. 
Men  in  evening  dress  rushed  to  the  ramparts  to  work  the  guns  upon 
whose  efficacy  depended  the  honor  and  stability  of  Russia.  Richly 
gowned  women  whose  gleaming  white  throats  and  soft  arms  glistened 
with  jewels  made  their  way  unattended  to  hospitals,  where  errands 
of  mercy  called  them  and  grewsome  tasks  awaited. 

WAR,  THE   HELL-BORN. 

War  had  broken  its  fetters  and  burst  upon  the  land  with  hellish 
fury.  War,  concerning  which  one  great  writer  has  declared  "A  day  of 
battle  is  a  day  of  harvest  for  the  devil;"  than  which  Martin  Luther 
said  any  plague  was  preferable !  War,  that  Sherman  called  hell,  and 
Shakspere  the  son  of  hell!  Franklin  said  there  was  never  a  good 
war  or  a  bad  peace.  The  great  Wellington  contributed  to  this  gen- 
eral depreciation  of  war  the  declaration  that  nothing  save  a  battle  lost 
was  hardly  so  melancholy  as  a  battle  won.  And  now  this  vast  game 
of  devilish  ingenuity  and  hellish  consequences  was  on  in  deadly  earnest, 
born  in  the  darkness  of  an  Oriental  night  and  destined  to  be  maintained 
through  many  a  day  and  night  to  come. 

THE  SKELETON  AT  THE  FEAST. 

Musket  balls  henceforth  would  claim  their  uncounted  victims,  the 
sword  and  bayonet  their  harvest  of  human  suffering.  Torpedo,  shell 
and  bomb  cast  off  their  restraining  fetters  to  sing  their  harsh,  dis- 
cordant song  of  death.  Potent  engines  of  destruction,  designed  with 
all  the  cunning  known  to  man  would  now  have  their  frightful  inning. 
Nature's  resistless  elements,  blinding  storms,  frigid  Arctic  winds,  track- 
less spreads  of  ice  and  snow  would  at  once  become  man's  ally  and 
his  foe  in  the  struggle  at  hand.     Far  from  the  eyes  of  the  interested 


36  THE  GREAT  WAR  IN  THE  EAST. 

world,  beyond  the  realm  of  romance,  where  throb  of  drum  and  wave 
of  flag  would  awaken  neither  dream  of  "glory"  or  excitement,  vast 
armies  of  men  would  do  and  die.  Lonely  stretches  of  glary  ice  and 
virgin  snow  would  be  crimsoned  with  their  life's  blood  and  the  shifting 
snowdrift  the  resting  place  of  their  battle-scarred  bodies. 

It  was  indeed  a  harsh,  cruel  awakening  that  the  Japanese  torpedoes 
forced  upon  Port  Arthur  that  night,  transforming  it  from  a  center  of 
social  gaiety  to  the  besieged  hub  of  a  great  center  experiencing  all  the 
horrors  of  relentless  war  in  the  dead  of  an  Arctic  winter. 

NEWS    FLASHED  TO    THE   WORLD. 

Information  of  what  had  taken  place  reached  the  world  the  follow- 
ing morning  in  an  official  report  from  Admiral  Alexieff.  Like  the 
early  reports  that  reached  England  from  the  theater  of  war  in  South 
Africa  during  the  Transvaal  campaign  it  was  of  the  "I  regret  to  state" 
order.  Who  can  say  with  what  emotion  the  Russian  commander 
penned  these  lines  to  his  imperial  master,  thousands  of  miles  away 
and  quite  unconscious  of  the  outbreak  of  hostilities : 

"I  most  respectfully  inform  your  majesty  that  at  or  about  midnight 
of  Feb.  8-9,  Japanese  torpedo  boats  made  a  sudden  attack  by  means 
of  mines  upon  the  Russian  squadron  in  the  outer  roads  of  the  fortress 
of  Port  Arthur,  in  which  the  battleships  Retvisan  and  Cesarevitch  and 
the  cruiser  Pallada  were  damaged.  An  inspection  is  being  made  to 
ascertain  the  character  of  the  damage.  Details  are  following  for  your 
majesty." 

The  Russian  commander's  disastrous  report  was  all  too  true.  Not 
only  had  the  Cesarevitch,  pride  of  the  Muscovite  navy,  and  other 
powerful  vessels  been  put  out  of  commission,  but  before  the  message 
had  left  the  viceroy's  hands  and  before  Port  Arthur  had  recovered 
from  the  first  shock  and  surprise,  the  Japanese  fleet  appeared  in  force 
and  began  a  terrific  onslaught  upon  the  Russian  seat  of  power  in  the 
far  East.  Twelve  hours  after  the  torpedo  attack  the  Japanese  fleets 
were  sweeping  the  seas  in  pursuit  of  everything  Russian,  centering 
r  attack  upon  Port  Arthur.     The  battle  that  ensued  was  terrific. 


THE  FIRST  SHOT  OF  THE  WAR. 


37 


The  invading  fleet  was  received  by  the  land  batteries  with  a  storm 
of  shot  and  shell.  The  Russian  fleet  joined  in  the  battle  and  even  the 
warships  crippled  during  the  preceding  night  participated  in  the 
firing  from  their  moorings  on  the  shelving  shores  where  they  had 
been  beached  to  prevent  sinking. 


The  War  Raised  the  Price  of  American  Products. 


CHAPTER  II. 
THE  SECOND  SHOT  OF  THE  WAR. 

The  Big  Guns  Boom — The  Circus,  Japan's  Ally — Scene  Disclosed  by  the  Blood-Red 
Moon — Jap's  Again  Attack — Cool  in  Face  of  Death — Plucky  Fighting  of  Rus- 
sians— Japanese  Spy  System. 

OFFICIAL  information  of  the  action  was  conveyed  to  the  im- 
perial government  and  the  world  at  large  in  the  following  offi- 
cial report  from  Admiral  Alexieff : 

"I  beg  to  report  that  at  about  n  o'clock  a  Japanese  squadron  con- 
sisting of  about  fifteen  battleships  and  cruisers  approached  Port  Ar- 
thur and  opened  fire. 

"The  enemy  was  receired  with  a  cannonade  from  the  shore  batteries, 
and  the  guns  of  our  squadron,  which  weighed  anchor  and  participated 
in  the  engagement. 

"At  about  midday  the  Japanese  squadron  ceased  its  fire  and  left, 
proceeding  south. 

"Our  losses  in  the  fleet  were  two  naval  officers  wounded,  nine  men 
killed,  and  fifty-one  men  wounded. 

"On  the  shore  batteries  one  man  was  killed  and  three  were  wounded. 

"The  battleship  Poltava  and  the  cruisers  Diana,  Askold,  and  Novik 
were  each  damaged  on  the  water  line. 

"The  forts  were  slightly  damaged. 

"I  most  humbly  report  to  your  imperial  majesty  that  the  three 
injured  vessels  in  the  torpedo  attack  were  not  sunk,  nor  were  their 

boilers  or  engines  damaged. 

38 


THE  SECOND  SHOT  OF  THE  WAR.  39 

"The  Czarevitch  received  a  hole  in  its  steering  department  and  its 
rudder  was  damaged. 

'The  Retvizan  was  damaged  in  its  pumping  apparatus  under  the 
water  line. 

"The  Pallada  was  injured  amidships  not  far  from  the  engines. 
After  the  explosions  the  cruisers  hastened  immediately  to  their  assist- 
ance, and  in  spite  of  the  dark  night,  measures  were  taken  to  bring  the 
damaged  vessels  to  the  harbor. 

"We  have  no  loss  in  officers.  Two  marines  were  killed,  five  were 
drowned,  and  eight  were  wounded.  The  enemy's  torpedo  boats  re- 
ceived a  heavy  fire.  Two  unexploded  torpedoes  were  found  after 
the  attack.  ALEXIEFF." 

THE    CIRCUS,    JAPAN'S    ALLY. 

As  before  intimated,  Japan's  strongest  ally  in  the  sudden  midnight 
attack  on  the  Russian  fleet  in  the  harbor  of  Port  Arthur  was  a  circus. 
While  the  czar's  powerful  fleet  swung  lazily  at  anchor  in  fancied  se- 
curity the  officers  of  the  squadron,  almost  to  a  man,  were  ashore  ap- 
plauding the  clown  in  the  tan-bark  ring  and  cheering  the  chariot  races 
and  the  trapeze  performers.  When  the  first  guns  boomed  out  their 
challenge  the  officers  hurriedly  left  the  canvas  tent.  Hastening  to  the 
water  front,  they  found  their  ships  in  motion,  striving  to  beat  off  the 
Japanese  war  ships  that  came  ever  closer.  They  strove  to  reach  the 
several  vessels  to  which  they  were  assigned,  but  before  they  could 
accomplish  it  they  saw  two  great  warships  stricken,  and  a  cruiser,  the 
pride  of  the  Pacific  squadron,  sorely  damaged. 

Like  the  British  officers  who  were  summoned  from  a  ball  to  the 
battle  of  Waterloo,  the  officers  had  determined  on  one  last  evening  of 
pleasure  before  they  entered  on  the  grim  business  of  war.  Unlike  the 
British,  they  had  no  warning,  and  when  they  sought  to  remedy  that 
which  their  thoughtlessness  had  cost  they  found  it  impossible. 

Not  alone  were  the  naval  officers  present  at  the  circus,  but  the  mili- 
tary officers  deserted  their  places  at  the  land  batteries  to  occupy  seats 


4o  THE  GREAT  WAR  IN  THE  EAST. 

beside  the  ring.    The  honor  of  Russia,  both  by  sea  and  land,  was  left 
in  the  hands  of  subalterns. 

FIRST  HALF  DAY  OF  THE  WAR. 

The  story  of  the  first  12  hours  of  actual  hostilities  off  Port  Arthur 
is  graphically  described  by  an  eye  witness,  who  was  aboard  the  steamer 
Columbia  in  the  harbor  during  the  entire  period,  in  the  following  lan- 
guage : 

"I  was  lying  Monday  night  quarantined  on  the  Indo-Chinese  steamer 
Columbia,  between  the  entrance  to  Port  Arthur  and  the  Russian  fleet 
and  close  to  the  latter. 

"Only  one  of  the  Russian  warships  was  using  its  searchlights,  in  a 
leisurely  fashion,  and  only  three  of  the  torpedo  boats  were  patrolling 
the  outskirts  of  the  fleet.  It  was  clear  and  there  was  a  light  southerly 
breeze  and  a  hazy  horizon.     Then  deep  silence  settled  down. 

FIRST    MUFFLED    EXPLOSION. 

"I  was  going  to  bed  about  1 1  130  when  I  heard  three  distinct  but 
muffled  explosions  one  after  another.  Apparently  they  came  from 
under  the  water,  for  the  Columbia  vibrated  violently. 

"Instantly  firing  with  the  twelve-pounders  and  three-pounders  began 
and  the  searchlights  were  placed,  but  without  much  method. 

"I  watched  the  operations,  thinking  they  were  only  maneuvers,  till 
midnight,  when  the  firing  had  almost  ceased,  entirely  ceasing  at  3  in 
the  morning. 

"About  1  o'clock  two  battleships,  probably  the  Retvizan  and  Cesare- 
vitch,  and  the  large  cruiser  Pallada  passed  us,  coming  toward  the 
harbor  entrance.  The  battleship  then  lay  across  the  narrows  at  the 
entrance,  where  in  the  morning  both  were  aground.  They  were  help- 
less, close  together,  not,  however,  blocking  the  entrance  except  for 
ships  of  heavy  draft.  The  disabled  battleships  were  taken  inside 
forts  Huna  Ching  Shan  and  Chi  Kwan  Shan.  The  cruiser  lay  outside, 
but  within  range  of  the  forts. 

"The  Retvizan  had  been  torpedoed  forward  and  the  Cesarevitch  aft. 
The  cruiser  was  badly  listed  to  port.     It  also  was  torpedoed. 


THE  SECOND  SHOT  OF  THE  WAR.  41 

"At  2  :4c)  some  Russian  naval  officers  came  aboard  the  Columbia  in 
a  state  of  great  excitement,  saying  the  viceroy  had  ordered  us  not  to 
attempt  to  leave.  Their  object,  apparently,  was  to  prevent  us  from 
giving  any  information  to  the  Japanese  concerning  the  extent  of  the 
damage. 

"Up  to  this  time  we  thought  the  operations  were  only  maneuvers  or 
a  scare.  But  now  we  began  to  suspect  something  serious,  especially 
when  at  daybreak  we  saw  the  strange,  pathetic  appearance  of  the 
two  torpedoed  battleships.  We  suspected  a  collision,  but  soon  learned 
these  battleships  and  cruisers  were  certainly  torpedoed.  It  seemed 
strange,  for  though  the  flashlights  were  whirling  wildly  and  the  light- 
house light  was  now  extinct,  no  firing  took  place. 

SCENE  DISCLOSED  BY  THE  BLOOD-RED  MOON. 

"After  3  o'clock  the  moon  rose  red,  disclosing  the  presence  on  the 
horizon  of  three  two-funnel  cruisers,  on  whose  masts  we  afterward 
distinguished  the  flag  of  the  rising  sun— -Japan's.  They  came  boldly 
within  long  distance  range  and  remained  calmly  watching  for  two  hours 
after  daybreak. 

"A  strange  apathy  seemed  to  possess  the  Russian  crews  of  white- 
faced  gaping  men,  who  crowded  on  the  forward  decks  of  the  damaged 
battleships. 

"I  saw  through  a  glass  the  cook  of  the  Peresviet  calmly  throwing 
out  slops  and  the  men  on  the  other  vessels  carefully  washing  the  anchor 
chain  while  weighing  anchor. 

"For  a  long  time  after  the  anchor  was  weighed  no  vessel  showed  a 
disposition  to  chase  the  Japanese  or  fire  a  single  shot. 

"Finally  the  Japanese  left.  This  was  at  8 :20.  They  were  pursued 
by  the  Russian  fleet,  which  proceeded  towards  Dalny,  inshore  of  the 
Japanese.  At  9  115  the  Russians  returned  to  their  anchorage,  no  firing 
apparently  having  occurred. 

"The  Japanese  effected  a  complete  surprise,  owing  to  the  bad  lookout. 

"The  Russians  had  now  outside  of  the  harbor  five  effective  battle- 
ships, five  effective  cruisers,  one  volunteer  cruiser,  one  gun  vessel,  one 


42  THE  GREAT  WAR  IN  THE  EAST. 

training  ship,  and  seventeen  torpedo  boats  and  destroyers.    The  latter 
were  grouped  near  the  entrance  of  the  harbor. 

JAPS  AGAIN  ATTACK. 

"It  was  almost  u  o'clock  when  sixteen  Japanese  ships,  including 
five  battleships,  appeared  along  the  horizon.  They  were  in  fine  order. 
At  11:15  came  the  first  flash  from  the  Japanese  vessel.  This  landed 
a  twelve-inch  shell  near  the  torpedo  boats  and  disabled  a  battleship. 
The  aim  was  splendid. 

"Owing  to  the  confusion  of  the  quarantine  officials  or  perhaps  be- 
cause the  Russians  thought  the  Japanese  would  dislike  to  fire  near  the 
British  flag,  the  Columbia  had  been  left  lying  close  to  the  Russian 
fleet  and  in  the  line  of  fire,  so  that  the  Japanese  shells  aimed  at  the 
battleships  fell  thickly  around  the  steamer,  several  bursting  near  its 
stern  and  strewing  the  deck  with  splinters  and  water. 

COOL  IN   FACE  OF  DEATH. 

"Capt.  Anderson  then  got  under  way,  although  ordered  by  the 
Russians  not  to  leave,  and  despite  the  protests  of  the  Russian  guards 
aboard,  who  were  eventually  conveyed  to  Chefoo. 

"On  one  occasion,  while  the  shells  were  bursting  round  about  us,  the 
captain  called :     'Boy,   get  me  some  cigarettes.' 

"The  vessel  was  brought  out  of  its  excessively  dangerous  position 
by  running  near  shore  and  then  making  full  speed  for  Chefoo. 

"The  Russian  guards  were  praying  fervently  and  the  Chinese  crew 
was  frightened,  but  worked  well.  We  feared  the  Russian  batteries 
would  sink  us  for  disobeying  orders  or  send  a  torpedo  boat  in  pursuit. 
The  captain  had  repeatedly  signaled  for  permission  to  proceed,  but 
his  signals  were  not  answered. 

GOOD  SHOOTING  OF  JAPS. 

"The  bombardment  of  the  port  lasted  till  1 1 145,  the  Japanese  shoot- 
ing with  good  aim.  Two  shells  burst  on  the  summit  of  one  fort  and 
numbers  on  the  face  of  the  cliffs  and  along  the  beach.     All  of  them 


THE  SECOND  SHOT  OF  THE  WAR.  43 

were  heavy  shells.  Owing  to  the  length  of  the  range  all  the  shells  burst 
on  contact  with  the  water  or  land.  Some  threw  out  yellow  smoke,  but 
generally  it  was  dense,  black  smoke,  temporarily  concealing  the  ships 
struck. 

"The  rate  of  fire  on  both  sides  was  slow,  many  Russian  shells  falling 
short.  The  Sebastopol  or  a  sister  ship  was  hit  by  a  heavy  shell  near 
the  base  of  its  forward  funnel.  Another  three  funneled  battleship  was 
struck  amidships  on  its  armor  plating.  A  third,  also  a  battleship,  was 
struck  abaft  its  armored  section  near  the  stern. 

"The  exact  damage  could  not  be  learned.  The  fleets  were  about 
three  miles  apart.    Apparently  no  ship  on  either  side  was  disabled. 

PLUCKY   FIGHTING  OF  RUSSIANS. 

"The  Russian  cruiser  Novik  fought  pluckily,  keeping  by  far  the 
closest  to  the  Japs  till  a  heavy  fire  was  concentrated  on  it  and  compelled 
it  to  retire  on  the  battleships.  The  other  Russian  cruisers  fought  at 
first  outside  of  the  line  of  battleships.  The  Russians  seemed  to  fight 
with  little  formation,  probably  owing  to  the  cramped  space,  being 
never  more  than  a  mile  and  a  half  from  the  shore.  They  remained 
all  the  time  under  the  guns  of  the  forts,  which  fired  over  them,  but 
not  frequently.  Whenever  the  heaviest  shore  batteries  fired  over  our 
heads  the  air  vibrated  strongly  and  there  was  a  great  crackling. 

"Before  the  action  we  saw  the  Russian  battleships  throwing  beds 
and  other  lumber  through  gun  ports.  Chinese  in  sampans  were 
busily  engaged  in  picking  up  the  articles  (including  pingpong  tables) 
until  the  shells  began  to  fall.  The  Russian  battleships  constantly 
wheeled  round  in  the  same  position,  while  the  Japanese  kept  a  splendid 
formation,  retiring  slowly  in  line  to  the  southeast  at  1 1  45  after  half 
an  hour's  action." 

DEVELOPMENTS   AT   ST.    PETERSBURG. 

The  news  that  Japan  had  duplicated  her  tactics  at  the  opening  of  the 
Chino-Japanese  war  by  a  torpedo  attack  on  the  Russian  ships  off  Port 
Arthur  created  intense  excitement  throughout  the  world.  The  bare 
announcement  came  to  St.   Petersburg  from  Viceroy  Alexieff  at  8 


44  THE  GREAT  WAR  IN  THE  EAST. 

o'clock  in  the  morning  of  the  9th.  Extra  editions  of  the  morning 
papers  printed  early  in  the  forenoon,  after  the  appearance  of  the  Official 
Messenger,  conveyed  the  intelligence  to  the  population  of  the  capital 
and  dispelled  any  lingering  hopes  that  war  could  be  averted. 

The  czar  and  his  ministers,  who  had  been  informed  immediately  of 
the  receipt  of  Viceroy  Alexieff's  telegram,  accepted  the  gage  and  pre- 
pared to  face  the  reality  of  war.  The  czars  manifesto  declaring  a 
state  of  war  to  exist  was  immediately  drafted. 

Feverish  activity  reigned  at  the  ministries  and  war  preparations 
were  pushed  in  all  directions.  The  Russian  Red  Cross  society  had 
already  sent  2,000  beds  to  the  far  East  and  Sisters  of  Mercy  began 
leaving  for  the  front. 

japan's  attack  denounced. 

The  temper  of  the  people  of  Russia  which  was  indicated  in  the  great 
personal  demonstration  accorded  to  their  majesties  at  the  imperial 
opera  house  the  preceding  evening,  the  audience  rising  and  singing 
"God  save  the  Czar  and  Give  Him  Victory/'  was  further  manifested 
after  the  arrival  of  the  news  from  Port  Arthur  in  the  crowds  of 
volunteers  who  besieged  the  general  staff  offices. 

The  action  of  the  Japanese  in  attacking  the  Russian  fleet  without 
a  declaration  of  war  was  denounced  as  an  outrage  by  the  Russians 
generally  and  the  result,  instead  of  discouraging  them,  seemed  to  fur- 
nish the  spark  necessary  to  fire  their  patriotism.  The  imperial  ball 
which  was  to  have  been  given  that  evening  was  cancelled  and  the 
imperial  court  and  all  its  functionaries  preferred  to  attend  a  solemn 
te  deum  to  pray  for  divine  blessing. 

St.  Petersburg  was  aflame  with  the  excitement  of  war.  Vast 
crowds  of  cheering  people  filled  the  streets,  while  the  vast  plaza  in 
front  of  the  winter  palace  surged  with  excited  throngs,  shouting  and 
cheering  for  Russia  and  the  czar. 

In  the  crowds  were  soldiers,  students,  court  pages,  laborers,  Jews, 

Moujiks,  merchants,  and  society  folk.     The  vast  concourse  watched 

ily  for  an  hour  and  a  half  the  brilliantly  lighted  windows  of  the 


THE  SECOND  SHOT  OF  THE  WAR.  43 

imperial  residence  where  the  emperor  had  called  his  highest  officials 
and  members  of  his  court  to  pray  for  the  success  of  Russian  arms  in 
the  war  which  had  been  so  suddenly  precipitated, 

CZAR  SEEKS  AID  OF  GOD. 

There  was  an  unprecedented  scene  at  the  religious  services  held  in 
the  winter  palace  that  afternoon.  At  the  command  of  the  czar  a  great 
concourse  of  ministers,  court  officials,  high  state  functionaries,  women 
of  rank,  and  military  men  assembled  in  St.  George's  hall,  all  the  men 
arrayed  in  full  uniform.  After  some  delay,  which  became  almost 
oppressive  because  of  the  feeling  of  solemnity  plainly  apparent,  the 
doors  of  the  imperial  apartments  opened  and  the  czar  entered,  wearing 
the  uniform  of  the  First  Guard  Regiment  of  Russia,  with  the  dowager 
czarina  on  his  arm.  The  dowager  wore  a  costume  of  pearl  gray  and 
no  jewels.  The  young  czarina,  wearing  her  favorite  white  and  silver, 
followed,  escorted  by  the  Grand  Duke  Michael,  the  heir  presumptive. 
The  entire  imperial  family  followed  in  order  of  precedence. 

Approaching  a  group  of  naval  and  military  officers,  his  majesty 
turned  gravely  and  greeted  them  with  the  customary  Russian  phrase: 

"I  wish  you  good  health,  gentlemen." 

The  officers  responded  with  a  loud  acclaim,  shouting  vigorous  hur- 
rahs. 

The  scene  became  one  of  wild  enthusiasm,  amidst  which  the  imperial 
procession  moved  forward,  entered  the  chapel,  advanced  to  the  altar, 
and  stood  with  bowed  heads  while  the  choir  and  clergy  intoned  an 
impressive  intercessory  service  of  the  Greek  church.  An  intensely 
religious  spirit  pervaded  the  entire  assemblage,  which  crowded  the 
little  palace  chapel  to  its  utmost  capacity.  During  the  recital  of  the 
litany  many  knelt  and  even  bowed  their  heads  to  the  chapel  floor. 

The  court  chaplain,  attended  by  the  deacon,  reverently  approached 
the  czar  and  sprinkled  him  with  holy  water  from  the  chalice,  and  pre- 
sented a  crucifix,  which  the  czar  kissed  fervently. 

At  the  conclusion  of  the  service  the  imperial  party  slowly  retired. 
As  they  re-entered  the  palace  another  scene  of  enthusiasm  greeted 


46  THE  GREAT  WAR  IN  THE  EAST. 

them.     The  czar  made  no  address.     Darkness  had  fallen  before  the 
service  was  finished. 

This  ceremony  was  additionally  notable  from  the  fact  that  it  took 
the  place  of  the  grand  imperial  ball. 

THE  JAPANESE  SPY  SYSTEM. 

It  will  not  be  inappropriate  at  this  point  to  digress  for  the  moment 
to  throw  a  side  light  upon  the  subtle  Japanese  character,  as  illustrated 
in  the  Japanese  preliminary  preparations  for  the  surprise  at  Port 
Arthur.  The  attack  in  itself  speaks  eloquently  on  the  subject.  Ad- 
ditional details  that  soon  leaked  out  are  well  worthy  of  a  place  in 
this  record. 

A  high  officer  in  the  Japanese  navy  visited  Port  Arthur  only 
twenty-four  hours  before  the  surprise  and  noted  the  exact  position  of 
the  Russian  warships  and  also  saw  that  they  had  little  steam  up  and 
were  not  keeping  a  sharp  outlook. 

When  the  Japanese  consul  at  Chefoo  was  informed  by  his  govern- 
ment that  the  Japanese  minister  at  St.  Petersburg  had  withdrawn  on 
the  preceding  Saturday,  he  chartered  a  British  vessel  and  went  to  Port 
Arthur  and  Dalny  to  take  off  Japanese  subjects  and  refugees. 

He  was  afforded  every  facility  by  the  Russian  government  officials 
at  Port  Arthur.  Quarantine  was  removed  and  the  consul  entered  the 
town  in  official  dress.  He  was  saluted  by  the  soldiers  and  invited  to 
dinner  by  a  high  official,  where  the  toast  drunk  was  that  peace  might 
be  restored.  After  leaving  Dalny  the  consul's  steamer  encountered 
the  Japanese  fleet,  about  eighteen  miles  from  Port  Arthur. 

A  high  naval  Japanese  commander  had  traveled  as  a  servant  in  the 
consul's  retinue  to  Port  Arthur.  As  soon  as  the  Japanese  fleet  was 
sighted  signals  were  interchanged  and  the  Japanese  naval  officer  was 
taken  aboard  the  flagship.  There  he  made  a  detailed  report  of  his 
observations  to  Admiral  Togo,  the  commander  of  the  Japanese  fleet, 
and  prepared  for  the  attack  that  had  been  planned  and  was  uppermost 
in  his  mind  when  drinking  the  peace  toast.  The  position  of  every 
Russian  vessel  was  charted  and  its  condition  duly  noted  so  that  the 


THE  SECOND  SHOT  OF  THE  WAR.  47 

Japanese  torpedo  flotilla  entered  the  harbor  on  its  errand  of  destruction 
as  fully  acquainted  with  the  surroundings  as  the  Russian  commanders 
themselves. 

This  and  similar  actions  of  the  Japanese  military  and  naval  com- 
manders, overrunning  the  east  in  the  guise  of  laborers  and  servants, 
coupled  with  the  circumstances  of  the  attack  itself,  roused  Russia  into 
a  fury  that  knew  no  bounds.  Patriotism  and  enthusiasm  beyond  the 
conception  of  Russia's  western  critics  swept  over  her  people  in  all 
walks  of  life  and  there  came  a  cry  for  vengeance  and  reprisal.  War 
must  follow  such  a  situation  of  a  certainty.     It  did. 

ALL  RUSSIA  AROUSED. 

Two  days  after  the  first  shot  the  czar  himself — peace-loving  Nicholas 
■ — had  ordered  the  mobilization  of  the  army  reserves  in  east  Asia  and 
was  giving  personal  supervision  to  the  forwarding  of  war  supplies. 
The  war  department  practically  assumed  control  of  the  Transsiberian 
railway  and  its  capacity  already  was  taxed  to  the  utmost  in  the  trans- 
portation of  troops  and  munitions  of  war.  One  of  the  day's  military 
consignments  was  seventy-two  quick  firing  mountain  guns  and  seven- 
teen carloads  of  ammunition  from  the  arsenal  at  Moscow. 

The  state  of  feeling  at  St.  Petersburg  was  illustrated  at  the  theaters 
when  people  demanded  the  national  anthem.  More  remarkable  was 
the  refusal  of  the  drosky  drivers  to  accept  money  from  officers  whom 
they  drove  to  the  palace. 

CZAR  ADDRESSES  NAVAL  CADETS. 

There  was  a  great  scene  at  the  naval  academy  when  the  czar  person- 
ally advanced  the  senior  class  to  the  rank  of  officers.  The  czar,  who 
wore  an  admiral's  uniform,  in  addressing  the  cadets,  said : 

"You  are  aware,  gentlemen,  that  two  days  ago  war  was  declared 
upon  us.  The  insolent  foe  came  by  night  and  attacked  our  stronghold 
and  fleet.  Russia  now  needs  her  navy  as  well  as  her  army.  I  have 
come  today  to  promote  you  to  the  rank  of  midshipmen.  I  am  confident 
that,  like  your  revered  predecessors,  Admirals  Chicagof,  Lazaref,  Nak- 


48  THE  GREAT  WAR  IN  THE  EAST. 

himof,  Karnilof,  and  Istomin,  you  will  work  for  the  welfare  and 
glory  of  our  beloved  fatherland  and  devote  all  your  energies  to  the 
fleet  over  which  flies  the  flag  of  St.  Andrew." 

After  his  majesty's  departure  the  newly  promoted  officers  hired 
sleighs  and  drove  up  and  down  the  quay  fronting  the  winter  palace, 
clad  only  in  their  black  tunics,  unmindful  of  the  bitter  cold,  and 
shouting  wild  hurrahs.  Grave  visaged  generals,  carried  away  by  emo- 
tion, saluted  the  youngsters,  whose  only  regret  was  that  their  service 
uniforms  were  not  ready  so  as  to  permit  of  their  departure  for  the  far 
East  on  the  spur  of  the  moment. 

Russia's  declaration  of  war. 

That  same  day  the  great  white  czar's  message  of  war  was  made 
known  to  Russia  and  the  world.  Complaining  bitterly  of  Japanese 
assassination,  rather  than  warfare,  the  "supreme  manifest  kindled  the 
fires  of  war  into  a  raging  flame."  This  important  and  historic  docu- 
ment follows : 

"By  the  grace  of  God,  we,  Nicholas  II,  emperor  and  autocrat  of 
all  the  Russias,  etc.,  make  known  to  all  our  loyal  subjects: 

"In  our  solicitude  for  the  maintenance  of  peace,  which  is  dear  to 
our  heart,  we  made  every  exertion  to  consolidate  tranquillity  in  the 
far  East.  In  these  peaceful  aims  we  signified  assent  to  the  proposals 
of  the  Japanese  government  to  revise  agreements  regarding  Korean 
affairs  existing  between  the  two  governments.  However,  the  nego- 
tiations begun  upon  this  subject  were  not  brought  to  a  conclusion,  and 
Japan,  without  awaiting  the  receipt  of  the  last  responsive  proposals 
of  our  government,  declared  the  negotiations  broken  off  and  diplomatic 
relations  with  Russia  dissolved. 

"Without  advising  us  of  the  fact  that  the  breach  of  such  relations 
would  in  itself  mean  an  opening  of  warlike  operations,  the  Japanese 
government  gave  orders  to  its  torpedo  boats  to  suddenly  attack  our 
squadron  standing  in  the  outer  harbor  of  the  fortress  of  Port  Arthur. 
Upon  receiving  reports  from  the  viceroy  in  the  far  East  about  this  we 


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THE  SECOND  SHOT  OF  THE  WAR. 


05 


immediately  commanded  him  to  answer  the  Japanese  challenge  with 
armed  force. 

"Making  known  this,  our  decision,  we,  with  unshaken  faith  in  the 
Almighty,  and  with  a  firm  expectation  of  and  reliance  upon  the  unani- 
mous willingness  of  all  our  loyal  subjects  to  stand  with  us  in  defense 
of  the  fatherland,  ask  God's  blessing  upon  our  stalwart  land  and  naval 
forces. 

"Given  at  St.  Petersburg,  Jan.  27,  1904  A.  D.  (new  calendar,  Feb. 
9,  1904),  and  in  the  tenth  year  of  our  reign.  Written  in  full  by  the 
hand  of  his  imperial  majesty,  NICHOLAS." 


CHAPTER  III. 
ECHOES  OF  THE  FIRST  SHOT, 

Russian  Disaster  at  Chemulpo — Heroism  of  the  Russians — Brave  Men  Cheered — 
Blown  Up  with  Dead  on  Board— How  Russians  Were  Trapped— Russian 
Transport  Accidentally  Destroyed — Blunders!     Blunders!    More  Blunders! 

EVEN  while  the  guns  at  Port  Arthur  were  booming  forth  defiance 
and  death  in  the  first  day  of  the  war,  the  circle  of  strife 
was  widening  and  the  spirit  of  warfare  was  reaching  with 
greedy  hands  for  victims  in  all  directions.  After  having  conducted  the 
most  successful  torpedo  flotilla  attack  in  the  history  of  modern  war- 
fare, the  Japanese  fleet  of  sixteen  vessels  returned  to  Port  Arthur  in 
the  forenoon  of  the  next  day  and  renewed  the  bombardment,  as  already 
recited.  In  that  action  four  more  Russian  vessels  were  struck,  adding 
the  first  class  battleship  Poltava  and  the  cruisers  Diana,  Askold,  and 
Novik  to  the  list  of  cripples  in  the  confused  and  demoralized  Russian 
fleet,  which  had  already  suffered  serious  injury  to  the  Retvizan  and 
Cesarevitch,  both  battleships,  and  the  cruiser  Pallada. 

RUSSIAN    DISASTER    AT    CHEMULPO. 

On  that  same  day  the  cruising  warships  of  the  Mikado  bottled 

up  two  isolated  units  of  the  Czar's  navy  and  forced  them  to  disastrous 

battle  at  Chemulpo,  on  the  Korean  coast,  three  hundred  miles  south 

and  east  as  the  crow  flies.     Throughout  the  entire  Korean  peninsula 

detachments  of  the  Japanese  army  were  being  landed  under  cover  of 

the  action  at  Port  Arthur  and  with  the  knowledge  that  the  Russian 

66 


ECHOES  OF  THE  FIRST  SHOT.  67 

fleets  at  that  point  and  at  Vladivostok,  1,200  miles  away,  were  in 
no  position  to  interfere. 

Japanese  warships  covering  this  wholesale  movement  of  troops 
encountered  the  Russian  cruiser  Variag  and  gunboat  Korietz  in  the 
harbor  at  Chemulpo.  The  latter  were  greatly  outclassed  by  the 
Japs  in  numbers,  armament  and  the  character  of  the  ships,  and  the 
Russian  commander  quite  naturally  sought  to  avoid  a  fight.  Early 
in  the  morning  of  Tuesday  Admiral  Uriu,  commanding  the  Japanese 
squadron,  formally  called  on  the  Russian  warships  to  leave  Chemulpo 
before  noon.  The  admiral  added  that  if  his  demand  was  not  com- 
plied with  he  would  be  compelled  to  attack  them  in  the  harbor. 

The  two  Russian  warships  left  the  port  at  about  1 1  130  a.  m.  and 
a  battle  ensued  outside  the  Polynesian  islands.  After  an  hour's  en- 
gagement the  Russian  warships  sought  refuge  among  the  islands. 
Towards  the  evening  the  Russian  cruiser  Variag  sank,  and  the  Kori- 
etz was  blown  up.  The  officers  and  men  of  the  two  sunken  vessels 
sought  refuge  on  the  French  cruiser  Pascal  and  vessels  of  other 
powers  in  the  harbor. 

HEROISM  OF  THE  RUSSIANS. 

Before  the  fight  the  captain  of  the  Russian  cruiser  Variag  held  a 
conference  with  the  British,  French  and  Italian  captains,  aboard  the 
British  cruiser  Talbot,  in  which  he  asked  for  the  protection  of  a  foreign 
warship  in  leaving  the  harbor. 

The  request  was  refused.  The  British  captain,  however,  delivered 
a  protest  to  the  Japanese  admiral  immediately  before  the  action. 

The  Americans  present  refrained  from  attending  the  naval  con- 
ference, or  partaking  in  the  demonstration,  although  some  of  the 
Russian  wounded  were  received  on  board  the  United  States  gunboat 
Vicksburg  later. 

With  their  bands  playing  the  national  anthem  and  their  crews 
cheering  wildly  the  two  vessels  went  forth  to  certain  defeat.  Their 
action  set  at  rest  all  talk  of  Russian  sailors'  cowardice  and  elicited 
cheers  and  applause  from  the  crews  of  the  shipping  in  the  harbor. 


68  THE  GREAT  WAR  IN  THE  EAST. 

Both  vessels  received  a  baptism  of  fire,  replied  in  kind,  made  a  gallant 
fight  against  overwhelming  odds  and  returned  sinking  and  laden  with 
dead  and  dying.  The  commanders  of  both  caused  their  destruction 
to  prevent  the  battered  hulks  from  falling  into  the  hands  of  the 
Japanese  lest  they  be  refitted  for  service  against  the  Russian  flag. 
While  the  Variag  was  being  sunk  its  captain,  fearing  that  the  Japanese 
would  reach  the  vessel  before  it  settled  down,  requested  the  captain  of 
the  British  Talbot  to  fire  at  the  Variag' s  water  line.  This  request 
was  refused. 

DETAILS    OF    THE    FIGHT. 

The  two  Russian  vessels  weighed  anchor  a  trifle  before  noon, 
steamed  down  the  bay,  and  encountered  the  Japanese  fleet  while 
rounding  an  island  nine  miles  from  Chemulpo. 

The  Russians  made  a  brave  fight  against  an  immensely  superior 
force.  The  engagement  was  watched  by  thousands  of  persons  on 
shore,  who  had  gathered  in  anticipation  of  a  collision.  The  American 
gunboat  Vicksburg,  the  British  cruiser  Talbot,  the  French  cruiser 
Pascal,  and  the  Italian  cruiser  Elba  were  witnesses  of  the  engagement, 
and  all  saluted  the  victorious  flag. 

The  Korietz  was  utterly  overmatched.  Broadsides  from  the  Japan- 
ese vessels  raked  it  continuously  until  it  began  to  sink.  Many  of  the 
crew  were  killed  by  shells  or  drowned.  Those  of  the  survivors  who 
swam  ashore  were  captured  by  Japanese  soldiers. 

As  the  cruiser  Variag  was  steaming  out  of  the  harbor  it  was  met  by 
a  hail  of  shells.  Its  masts  speedily  fell.  The  crew  fought  with  des- 
perate energy  for  several  hours. 

Sir  Cyprian  Bridge,  the  British  admiral  in  command  at  that  sta- 
tion, stated  that  the  British  cruiser  Talbot,  the  Italian  cruiser  Elba,  and 
the  French  cruiser  Pascal  took  on  board  at  Chemulpo  the  crews  of 
the  destroyed  Russian  ships  Variag  and  Korietz.  On  the  Talbot  150 
men  were  reported,  many  of  them  wounded.  The  admiral  ordered 
that  the  wounded  Russians  were  not  to  he  handed  over  to  the  Japanese 
unless  the  Russians  themselves  desired  it. 


ECHOES  OF  THE  FIRST  SHOT.  69 

United  States  Minister  Allen  at  Seoul  cabled  the  state  department 
a  report  that  twenty-one  Japanese  naval  vessels  arrived  at  Chemulpo 
on  the  afternoon  of  Feb.  9.  The  Russian  naval  vessels,  the  Variag 
and  Korietz,  were  in  Chemulpo  harbor  and  attempted  to  prevent  the 
landing  of  the  Japanese  forces,  but  with  no  success.  Minister  Allen's 
report  continued : 

"A  running  naval  engagement  took  place  in  Chemulpo  harbor,  be- 
ginning at  noon.  The  Variag  and  Korietz  again  attempted  to  escape, 
but  failed.  The  Variag  was  injured.  On  their  return  the  Japanese 
naval  vessels  announced  officially  that  they  would  attack  the  place  at  4 
o'clock  p.  m.  At  the  latter  hour  the  Korietz  blew  up  and  sank.  The 
Japanese  naval  vessels  attacked  the  Variag  from  the  outside  harbor 
until  it  sank." 

An  American  eye  witness  of  this  uneven  battle  in  remote  Chemulpo, 
writing  from  Seoul,  gives  the  following  detailed  account  of  it : 

"During  the  night  of  Feb.  8  the  Japanese  landed  1,300  men  at 
Chemulpo  and  on  the  morning  of  Feb.  9  three  Japanese  cruisers,  four 
gunboats  and  eight  torpedo-boat  destroyers,  under  command  of  Ad- 
miral Uriu,  approached  the  harbor,  but  did  not  enter.  The  Korietz 
and  Variag  were  lying  in  the  harbor.  The  Japanese  admiral  gave 
them  until  noon  to  come  out.  Both  Russian  vessels  cleared  for 
action.  All  the  shipping  in  the  harbor  was  notified  by  Admiral  Uriu 
to  get  out  of  the  firing  line. 

BRAVE  MEN  CHEERED. 

"There  was  in  the  harbor  also  the  British  cruiser  Talbot,  the  French 
cruiser  Pascal,  the  Italian  cruiser  Elba  and  the  United  States  gunboat 
Vicksburg.  All  were  active.  The  Variag  signaled  the  Talbot  and  a 
boat  from  the  British  cruiser  went  on  board.  Shortly  afterward  the 
Variag  and  Korietz  got  under  way  and  steamed  out  of  the  harbor. 
The  crew  of  the  English  warship  cheered  them  as  they  went  out  to 
fight.  When  the  Russians  were  four  miles  out  the  Japanese  threw  a 
shot  across  their  bows,  but  they  did  not  stop.     The  Japanese  lay 


jo  THE  GREAT  WAR  IN  THE  EAST. 

between  the  islands  ten  miles  out,  blocking  the  only  entrance  to  the 
harbor. 

"When  the  Russians  were  six  miles  from  the  Japanese  fleet  heavy 
firing  began  on  both  sides.  The  Variag  turned  her  broadside  loose 
at  ii  155  a.  m.  Then  the  Variag  turned  at  right  angles  to  the  west- 
ward and  steamed  a  short  distance,  as  if  to  make  the  beach,  but  was 
seen  to  suddenly  turn  again  east  and  give  the  enemy  her  other  broad- 
side. The  Japanese  continued  firing  until  12  122,  when  the  Variag  was 
seen  to  be  on  fire  near  the  stern.  The  Russian  vessels  then  turned 
back  toward  the  harbor  and  ceased  firing  at  12  42  p.  m.  The  Japanese 
followed  almost  to  the  entrance  of  the  harbor,  firing  on  the  Variag, 
which  had  a  heavy  list  to  port  and  was  evidently  in  a  sinking  con- 
dition.   The  Korietz  was  practically  untouched. 

"The  Variag  lost  thirty  men  and  seven  officers  killed  and  forty-two 
wounded.  Count  Buro  was  killed  on  the  bridge.  About  600  shots 
were  fired  in  all,  but  the  firing  was  not  accurate  and  the  Variag  was 
hit  in  only  six  places.  One  shot  which  struck  her  on  the  water 
line  amidships  wrecked  one  of  her  engines.  When  the  Russians 
anchored  off  the  entrance  of  the  harbor  the  British  cruiser  sent  four 
hospital  boats  on  board  with  a  doctor  and  nurse.  The  United  States 
gunboat  Vicksburg  also  sent  three  boats  with  surgical  assistance. 

BLOWN    UP    WITH    THE   DEAD    ON    BOARD. 

"The  Korietz  was  abandoned  at  3  :30  p.  m.,  her  crew  going  on  board 
the  Pascal,  and  at  3  157  p.  m  she  blew  up  with  a  terrific  explosion. 
The  Variag  was  abandoned  soon  after,  her  officers  deeming  her  situa- 
tion hopeless.     Her  dead  were  left  on  board. 

Survivors  of  the  Variag  went  on  board  the  Talbot,  the  Pascal  and 
the  Elba.  Some  also  went  to  the  Vicksburg.  The  Variag  burned 
until  6  p.  m.,  with  frequent  explosions,  as  the  flames  ignited  her  am- 
munition. She  sank,  turning  over  to  port,  as  she  went  down.  The 
Russians  eventually  went  from  the  Pascal  to  the  steamship  Sungaii. 
A  Russian  officer  told  the  captain  of  the  Vicksburg  that  he  had  come 
to  ask  asylum  for  one  night  only.     The  Japanese  casualties  are  not 


ECHOES  OF  THE  FIRST  SHOT.  71 

known,  but  it  is  rumored  that  one  torpedo-boat  destroyer  was  sunk 
during  the  action." 

SILENCE  IN  JAPAN. 

Meanwhile  an  almost  constant  attack  was  maintained  at  Port 
Arthur,  Japanese  troops  were  pouring  into  Korea  and  Russian  ship- 
ping was  being  seized  by  Japanese  vessels  scouring  the  seas  for  that 
purpose.  In  strange  contrast  to  public  expectation  happenings  within 
the  Russian  lines  were  promptly  made  public,  whereas  nothing  came 
from  Tokyo  except  stories  of  Russian  cruelty  and  an  occasional  bul- 
letin announcing  a  Japanese  victory.  Thus  the  world  was  made  aware 
of  the  Russian  losses  and  discouragements,  but  not  a  word  leaked 
out  as  to  what  punishment  Japan  sustained.  Both  sides  maintained  a 
strict  censorship,  which  accounts  for  the  incomplete  and  contradictory 
reports  heralded  by  the  press. 

Russia's  Vladivostok  fleet. 

Practically  frozen  in  at  Vladivostok  another  Russian  fleet  lay  far 
beyond  striking  distance  and  in  a  position  affording  little  likelihood  of 
co-operation  with  the  ships  bottled  up  at  Port  Arthur.  It  at  once 
became  apparent  that  Russia's  salvation  upon  the  sea  depended  upon 
bringing  about  a  conjunction  of  the  fleets  at  Port  Arthur,  Vladivostok 
and  those  in  European  waters.  Japan's  prime  necessity  lay  in  pre- 
venting the  accomplishment  of  that  purpose.  The  Vladivostok  fleet 
sought  to  draw  off  the  Japanese  vessels  about  Port  Arthur  by  making 
a  sortie  against  Japan's  northern  coast,  bombarding  Hakodate,  Japan, 
and  sinking  the  Nakonoura,  an  unarmed  Japanese  vessel.  Meanwhile 
Russia  had  dispatched  fleets  from  European  waters  and  was  struggling 
with  the  question  how  to  move  its  Black  Sea  and  Baltic  squadrons  to 
the  scene  of  war  without  the  violation  of  treaties  governing  their  move- 
ments. Japanese  vessels  took  up  strategic  positions  to  prevent  the 
arrival  of  naval  reinforcements  and  began  a  campaign  to  weaken 
and  destroy  the  great  Trans-Siberian  railroad  upon  which  Russia's  de- 
pendence for  the  movement  of  troops  and  supplies  hinged. 


72  THE  GREAT  WAR  IN  THE  EAST. 

Meanwhile,  additional  details  of  the  intital  attack  on  Port  Arthur 
came  to  light.  It  developed  that  the  Japanese  torpedo  boats  effected 
an  entrance  that  Monday  night  into  the  outer  harbor  of  Port  Arthur 
by  using  Russian  signal  flashlights.  Consequently  the  Russians  did 
not  fire. 

Out  of  the  four  Japanese  torpedo  boats  which  made  the  first 
attack,  three  were  sunk  with  great  loss  of  life.  The  fourth  was  a 
twenty-eight  knot  boat  and  escaped.  Two  Japanese  officers  and 
eighteen  men  swam  ashore  from  one  of  the  sunken  torpedo  boats  and 
was  placed  in  prison  in  Port  Arthur. 

The  battleship  Pallada  was  on  the  outside  edge  of  the  Russian 
fleet  and  on  lookout  duty  that  night.  The  chief  artillery  officer  noticed 
four  torpedo  boats  approach,  with  full  lights,  in  all  respects  looking 
like  Russian  torpedo  boats.  He  informed  the  captain  that  they  were 
Japanese  vessels. 

The  captain  denied  this  and  said  they  were  built  in  Port  Arthur. 
The  artillery  officer  insisted,  and  the  captain  got  angry,  saying : 

"I  am  in  command  of  this  ship,  sir." 

Despite  this,  the  artillery  officer  gave  orders  to  prepare  for  action. 
Immediately  after  the  Japanese  launched  a  torpedo,  but  the  Pallada 
was  able  to  retaliate  instantly,  and  the  other  Russian  ships  at  once 
cleared  for  action. 

RUSSIAN  TRANSPORT  ACCIDENTALLY  DESTROYED. 

That  Russia  was  not  entirely  asleep  was  demonstrated  by  the  activity 
with  which  her  harbors  were  mined  with  powerful  explosives.  The 
awful  potency  of  these  engines  of  war  was  soon  demonstrated  to  Rus- 
sia's grief.  Through  some  freak  of  ill-fortune,  that  seemed  to  be  the 
lot  of  the  great  white  bear  in  the  opening  stages  of  the  war,  the  Russian 
torpedo  transport  Yenisei  was  blown  up  as  the  result  of  accidentally 
striking  a  mine  at  Port  Arthur,  on  the  third  day  of  the  war.  The 
Yenisei  sank  and  Capt.  Stepanoff,  three  officers,  and  ninety-one  men 
were  lost. 


ECHOES  OF  THE  FIRST  SHOT. 


73 


The  Yenisei  was  built  in  the  Baltic  works.  It  had  a  displacement 
of  2,500  tons  and  carried  an  armament  of  five  twelve-pounders  and  six 
three-pounders,  quick  firing  guns.  The  vessel  was  300  feet  long,  40 
feet  beam,  and  drew  14  feet  6  inches. 

blunders!     blunders!     more   blunders! 

At  this  stage  of  the  proceedings,  a  British  steamer  was  fired  upon 
by  mistake  by  the  Russians  at  Port  Arthur,  and  an  American  vessel 
was  held.  Apologies  followed  and  the  American  ship  was  released 
during  a  temporary  withdrawal  of  the  Japanese  fleet. 


fVAK)^ 


CHAPTER  IV. 
PREPARATIONS  FOR  LAND  BATTLES. 

Russians  300,000  Strong — First  30,000  of  300,000  Japs — Thoughts  Turn  to  Dynamite 
— War's  Frightful  Cost — Stories  of  Russian  Brutality — Freeze  and  Drown  in 
Arctic  Waters — "The  Weak  Link" — Treason  in  the  Ranks? 

IT  became  apparent  that  the  Japanese  attacks  were  intended  to 
cover  the  mobilization  of  a  vast  army  in  Korea  for  the  purpose  of 
overrunning  Manchuria.  Immediately  the  Czar  ordered  an  army 
of  600,000  men  to  be  in  readiness  to  resist  the  invasion  of  Manchuria 
by  the  Mikado's  troops.  The  ukase,  dated  Feb.  10,  ordered  all  troops  in 
the  military  district  of  Siberia  to  be  placed  in  readiness  for  war,  that 
all  divisions  in  the  far  eastern  viceroyalty  be  brought  up  to  war 
strength,  and  that  the  army  and  navy  reserves  of  the  Siberian  and 
Kazan  districts  be  called  to  the  colors.  The  military  authorities  were 
empowered  to  make  requisition  for  the  necessary  horses. 

RUSSIANS  300,000  STRONG. 

There  were  six  army  corps  in  the  far  East,  two  each  in  the  districts 
of  Kazan,  Siberia  and  Amur.  Each  army  corps  was  made  up  of 
1,030  officers,  47,653  men,  16,965  horses,  and  124  guns.  The  total 
strength  of  the  six  corps  called  into  active  service  by  the  Czar  thus  ap- 
proximated 300,000  men.  The  army  reserves  in  the  same  districts 
practically  doubled  the  force.  Then  followed  rapid  concentration  of 
the  Czar's  forces  on  the  Yalu  river,  the  boundary  between  Manchuria 
and  Korea. 

74 


PREPARATIONS  FOR  LAND  BATTLES.        75 

Fighting  along  the  river  began  on  Feb.  13,  when  a  general  engage- 
ment took  place  on  land  and  sea. 

The  significance  of  these  moves  was  an  effort  to  cut  the  railroad  and 
telegraphic  communication  with  Port  Arthur. 

PORT  ARTHUR  STILL  UNDER  FIRE. 

Throughout  an  almost  continuous  bombardment  was  kept  up  at 
Port  Arthur.  The  Russian  cruiser  Askold,  torpedoed  during  the 
initial  assault  on  the  Russian  fleet,  was  kept  afloat  until  Feb.  14,  when 
she  sank  in  thirty  fathoms  of  water. 

FIRST  30,000  OF  300,000  JAPS. 

On  Feb.  15,  one  week  after  the  first  shot  had  been  exchanged,  nearly 
30,000  Japanese  troops  were  landed  at  Chemulpo — the  first  division 
of  a  large  number  designed  to  be  thrown  into  Korea  as  rapidly  as  pos- 
sible, in  the  effort  thoroughly  to  occupy  the  strategic  points  in  the  her- 
mit kingdom  while  the  Russian  fleet  was  bottled  up  in  Port  Arthur. 

Then  frank  announcement  was  made  that  the  repeated  attacks  on 
Port  Arthur  were  not  for  the  purpose  of  seizing  that  place  at  once, 
unless  an  unexpected  weakness  in  the  fortifications  there  developed. 

They  were  part  of  a  well-defined  plan  for  the  harassing  of  the  Rus- 
sian fleet  until  Korea  could  be  occupied.  The  bottling  up  of  the  fleet 
there  enabled  the  landing  of  troops  on  Korea  without  the  convoy  of  a 
large  number  of  warships.  The  reports  of  disorder  in  various  parts 
of  Korea  hastened  the  operations  of  the  Japanese  that  they  might  ob- 
tain possession  before  anarchy  became  prevalent  and  foreign  interests 
menaced  in  consequence,  bringing  on  greater  possibility  of  further 
international  complications. 

Reports  of  the  sinking  of  a  Japanese  transport  with  1,800  soldiers 
on  board  came  with  the  following  day,  and  the  efforts  of  that  portion 
of  the  Japanese  fleet  which  was  lying  in  wait  for  the  Russian  colliers 
on  their  way  from  Europe  to  Port  Arthur  with  fuel  for  the  Czar's 
squadron,  were  rewarded  by  the  capture  of  six  Norwegian  vessels, 
all  coal  laden. 


76  THE  GREAT  WAR  IN  THE  EAST. 

More  than  100,000  tons  was  on  the  way  to  the  far  East  from 
Europe,  and  the  Mikado's  naval  officers  were  given  orders  to  capture 
as  many  of  the  collier  fleet  as  possible. 

Fifteen  warships  destroyed  and  eight  captured  was  the  record  of 
the  Japanese  navy  up  to  this  time,  according  to  reports  the  government 
of  Japan  made  public. 

The  mobilization  of  the  Japanese  army  had  been  carried  out  method- 
ically. Fully  300,000  troops  were  now  ready  to  be  placed  in  the  field 
without  impairing  the  national  defenses.  The  movements  of  the  troops 
were  shrouded  in  secrecy.  They  were  moved  at  night  toward  their 
bases  at  Sasebo,  Kure,  Miji  and  Yokusuka,  and  the  lights  of  ordinary 
trains  were  extinguished  when  in  the  neighborhood  of  troop  trains. 

Members  of  the  reserve  force  immediately  stepped  into  the  places  of 
the  outgoing  regulars.  Their  organization  was  perfect  and  a  full 
equipment  ready  for  each  one  of  the  reserves. 

Hundreds  of  hotels,  tea  houses  and  temples  were  requisitioned,  in 
Tokyo  and  other  divisional  centers.  All  the  steamers  of  Japanese 
merchant  liners  were  rapidly  converted  into  auxiliary  cruisers,  armed 
with  quick-firing  guns  and  fitted  with  torpedo  tubes. 

The  government  officials  refused  to  give  out  any  information  re- 
garding their  military  intentions.  They  expected  to  profit  by  dissen- 
sions in  the  Russians'  council  of  state.  They  believed  that  the  extra- 
ordinary powers  conferred  on  Viceroy  AlexiefT  would  lead  to  a  clash 
between  Foreign  Minister  Lamsdorf  and  Gen.  Kuropatkin,  especially 
as  the  general  is  unfriendly  to  Aliexeff.  The  result  of  a  disagreement 
between  these  two  Russian  leaders  would  be  to  their  advantage. 

Japanese  officials  felt  convinced  that  the  Russians  would  be  unable 
to  concentrate  and  maintain  50,000  troops  at  any  important  point 
of  military  operations. 

THOUGHTS  TURN  TO  DYNAMITE. 

Popular  gossip  in  Japan  turned  on  the  possible  dynamiting  of  the 
Russian  railroad  in  Manchuria.  Thousands  of  Japanese  who  were 
practically   undistinguishable   from   Chinese   were   working  in   Man- 


PREPARATIONS  FOR  LAND  BATTLES.  77 

churia,  and  would  willingly  risk  their  lives  to  aid  their  country's  cause. 
A  protective  boom  of  mines  was  early  placed  about  the  entrance 
of  Nagasaki  harbor.     Yokohama  and  other  ports  were  also  guarded 
by  mines. 

STORIES  OF  RUSSIAN   BRUTALITY. 

At  this  time  came  numerous  Japanese  complaints  of  Russian  ill- 
treatment.  It  was  said  that  400  Japanese  refugees  from  Harbin  and 
elsewhere,  who  arrived  at  Mukden  Feb.  10,  were  arrested  and  that 
many  of  them  were  severely  beaten  and  detained  until  they  purchased 
their  release.  When  they  were  liberated  the  Japanese  were  sent  in 
open  trucks  to  Taihichou,  where  they  were  again  maltreated  and  sent 
on  to  Port  Arthur.  Some  of  their  women  were  sent  to  Newchwang. 
United  States  Consul  Miller  took  the  women  under  his  protection 
and  sent  them  to  Shanhaikwan. 

With  the  whole  country  swarming  with  Japanese,  any  number  of 
whom  might  prove  spies,  and  whose  presence  contributed  to  the  dan- 
ger of  a  food  famine  in  event  of  a  prolonged  siege,  the  Russians  on 
the  peninsula  leading  to  Port  Arthur  and  on  the  mainland,  promptly 
set  about  clearing  them  out.  Stories  concerning  the  treatment  ac- 
corded the  refugees  and  those  under  suspicion  of  spying — which  might 
include  the  whole  number  without  any  great  stretch  of  the  imagina- 
tion— are  exceedingly  contradictory.  It  may  be  safe  to  assume  that 
the  Russian  soldiers,  never  noted  for  gentility  toward  a  hated  and 
despised  foe,  took  no  particular  pains  to  make  pleasant  the  plight  of  the 
Japanese  settlers  and  coolies  within  their  lines. 

WAR'S    FRIGHTFUL   COST. 

By  Feb.  15,  Port  Arthur  was  systematically  besieged  by  the  Japan- 
ese, with  prospects  of  being  surrounded  on  sea  and  land,  but  in  the 
maneuvering  to  accomplish  this  feat  the  Japanese  lost  in  dead  more 
than  2,200  men.  Of  these  1,800  perished  in  the  sinking  of  a  transport 
and  410  died  in  a  desperate  hand-to-hand  battle  on  land. 

In  this  combat  the  Cossacks,  at  the  bayonet  point,  drove  back  an 


78  THE  GREAT  WAR  IN  THE  EAST. 

army  of    12,000  Japanese  soldiers,  who  had  attempted  to  make  a 
landing  at  a  point  menacing  Port  Arthur. 

ATTEMPTED  LANDINGS  NEAR  PORT  ARTHUR. 

The  Japanese  fleet  which  had  paralyzed  the  Russian  fleet  and  bottled 
it  up  at  Port  Arthur,  made  an  effort  to  land  in  the  rear  of  Port  Arthur 
two  forces  of  men  simultaneously  on  opposite  sides  of  the  peninsula. 
The  Japanese  object  was  to  completely  cut  the  Russian  Gibraltar  off 
from  communications  and  supplies. 

One  party  was  landed  on  the  west  at  Pigeon,  or  Dove  Bay,  just 
north  of  the  last  of  the  Russian  land  fortifications  there  on  the  west 
of  the  peninsula. 

The  other  party  was  landed  on  the  east  at  Talien  Wan  Bay.  These 
tactics  were  a  repetition  of  the  Japanese  maneuvers  in  the  war  with 
China. 

But  the  result  was  different.  In  the  war  with  China  the  Japanese 
made  a  successful  landing  and  subsequently  captured  the  fort.  In 
this  instance,  both  parties  were  repulsed  with  serious  losses,  after  the 
Russians  had  engaged  them  in  a  hand-to-hand  fight.  In  an  engage- 
ment near  Dalny,  many  Japanese  were  sabred  to  death  by  Cossack  cav- 
alry. Elsewhere  the  Japanese  succeeded  in  making  temporary  land- 
ings that  enabled  them  to  damage  the  railroad.  Anticipating  a  fur- 
ther flank  movement,  the  Russians  began  laying  mines  in  the  harbor 
at  Dalny,  and  a  merchant  fleet  of  ten  neutral  ships  left  under  escort 
of  torpedo  boats. 

FREEZE    AND   DROWN    IN    ARCTIC    WINTER. 

At  this  same  time,  additional  horrors  began  to  unfold.  One  of 
the  much-dreaded  storms  that  terrorize  Lake  Baikal  broke  out,  just 
at  the  moment  when  the  rails  were  being  laid  over  the  ice  to  transport 
troops  to  the  front.  A  double  rupture  of  the  ice  had  taken  place  some 
versts  from  Tanhoi  on  the  eastern  side,  leaving  open  gaps  of  sev- 
eral yards  to  be  filled  up  with  ice  blocks. 

The  work  had  been   interrupted  some  days  while  wood  sleepers 


PREPARATIONS  FOR  LAND  BATTLES.        79 

were  massing  in  big  stacks  at  Irkutsk,  men  having  been  employed  in 
consolidating  the  railway  there.  Thus  the  anticipated  road  across  the 
lake  was  not  completed,  as  was  hoped,  in  time  to  facilitate  the  mass- 
ing of  Russian  troops  at  the  Yalu.  Impatient  commanders  sought  to 
rush  their  men  across  the  frozen  surface  on  foot.  In  consequence, 
what  might  have  been  expected  happened.  A  large  detachment  of 
soldiers  were  overtaken  in  a  blinding  blizzard.  They  struggled  on, 
unable  to  advance  or  retreat  with  intelligence  in  the  face  of  the  storm. 
Of  the  band  that  set  out  Coo  were  lost  and  perished  in  the  bitter  blast. 
Those  who  escaped  were  fit  only  for  the  hospital. 

It  is  a  matter  of  common  knowledge  that  there  is  a  Trans-Siberian 
railway,  and  that  on  it  Russia  must  depend  for  the  transportation  of 
troops  and  supplies  from  the  European  part  of  the  empire  to  the  far 
East.  It  is  not  generally  known  that  the  continuity  of  that  road  is 
broken  and  its  military  value  lessened  by  the  existence  of  Lake  Baikal, 
which  has  been  appropriately  described  as  "the  weakest  link  in  a 
rather  weak  chain"  of  transportation  between  Russia  and  the  Pacific 
ocean. 

"the  weak  link." 

Lake  Baikal  is  situated  in  eastern  Siberia,  at  an  altitude  of  1,400 
feet,  surrounded  by  wild  mountains  which  rise  to  4,000  feet.  It  is 
chescent-shaped.  Its  greatest  length  is  370  miles ;  its  greatest  breadth 
about  70  miles;  its  greatest  depth  4,500  feet,  and  its  average  depth 
about  800  feet.  Three  large  rivers  and  many  streams  discharge  into 
the  lake,  which  empties  through  the  lower  Angara  into  the  Yenisei. 
The  lake  is  frozen  from  January  to  the  beginning  of  May.  It  forms 
part  of  the  line  of  communication  between  Russia,  the  Amur  and 
China. 

In  winter  the  lake  is  crossed  on  the  ice  and  a  temporary  station  is 
established  half-way.  Many  people  have  lost  their  lives  in  the  wild 
storms  that  sweep  over  the  ice  and  sometimes  partly  break  it  up.  A 
road  has  been  built  round  the  south  coast.  The  Trans-Siberian  rail- 
way will  follow  this  road,  but  it  is  not  yet  complete,  communication 


8o  THE  GREAT  WAR  IN  THE  EAST. 

being  maintained  in  summer  by  steamer  and  in  winter  by  means  of  a 
temporary  railway  on  the  ice.  This  temporary  railway  had  not  been 
finished  this  year.  The  lake  is  a  great  fishing  ground,  60,000  hundred- 
weight of  salmon  being  cured  every  year. 

The  railroad,  when  completed,  will  make  a  detour  around  the  south- 
ern end  of  the  lake.  As  the  country  to  be  traversed  is  mountainous 
and  much  tunneling  will  be  required,  work  on  that  section  has  been 
pushed  slowly,  and  cars  laden  with  passengers  and  freight  are  taken 
across  the  lake  in  great  ferry  boats.  Fairly  good  service  can  be  had 
in  summer,  though  sudden  and  violent  storms  sweep  the  lake  at 
times  and  make  navigation  hazardous.     In  winter  it  is  impossible. 

The  lake  lies  so  far  north  and  at  such  a  height  above  the  ocean 
that  it  begins  to  freeze  in  November,  and  by  the  beginning  or  middle 
of  December  is  frozen  over  to  a  depth  of  nine  and  a  half  feet,  and  re- 
mains ice-bound  for  about  five  months.  The  Russian  government,  en- 
couraged by  the  success  of  ice  breakers  it  has  used  in  the  Baltic  and 
the  White  seas,  bought  an  immense  one  for  use  on  Lake  Baikal,  but  it 
was  practically  a  failure. 

If  it  were  not  for  one  insurmountable  difficulty  it  would  be  easy  to 
lay  rails  on  the  ice  and  run  light  trains  during  midwinter  or  to  organize 
a  sledge  service  across  it.  Unfortunately,  crevices  from  three  to  six 
feet  wide  and  two-thirds  of  a  mile  in  length  are  continually  opening. 
When  they  close  they  pile  up  the  ice  along  their  course  in  almost 
impassable  hummocks.  The  thermometer  in  that  region  often  drops 
to  35  or  40  degrees  below  Fahrenheit  zero  in  December  and  January, 
and  the  weather  is  not  much  milder  in  February. 

If  the  United  States  were  carrying  on  war  in  the  Rocky  moun- 
tains; if  it  had  to  send  men  and  provisions  over  one  insufficiently 
equipped,  poorly-constructed,  single-track  railroad,  which  was  bisected 
by  Lake  Michigan,  and  if  the  lake  were  so  blocked  with  ice  that  it 
could  be  crossed  only  with  the  greatest  difficulty,  the  government 
would  be  almost  as  badly  hampered  as  Russia  is  now.  Russia  had 
millions  of  men  and  unlimited  stores  of  supplies.     Her  problem  was 


PREPARATIONS  FOR  LAND  BATTLES.       81 

to  get  them  to  Manchuria.  Lake  Baikal  broke  the  line  of  communica- 
tion, and  in  so  doing  merely  added  her  contribution  to  the  overflow- 
ing cup  of  sorrow  that  was  Russia's  portion. 

ONE   WOE   DOTH    TREAD   ANOTHER'S    HEEL. 

Then,  if  at  any  time,  the  great  white  Czar  might  have  cried  in  all 
truth,  like  the  Queen  mother  in  Hamlet : 

"One  woe  doth  tread  another's  heel,  so  fast  they  follow." 

With  conditions  bordering  on  anarchy  prevailing  throughout  the 
entire  East,  half  the  length  of  the  great  Manchurian  railroad 
jeopardized  by  bands  of  Chinese  malcontents,  Vladivostok  threatened 
with  famine,  Port  Arthur  beseiged  by  a  superior  force,  the  land  over- 
run by  Japanese  and  their  oriental  sympathizers  favored  with  a  physi- 
cal make-up,  disguising  military  expert  and  vagabond  outcast  beyond 
recognition,  two  Russian  fleets  helplessly  bottled  up,  and  reinforce- 
ments cut  off — with  all  this  to  contend  against,  came  word  that  an- 
other Russian  vessel  had  been  destroyed  by  Russian  mines  set  to  hold 
off"  the  enemy  at  Port  Arthur.  This  one  proved  to  be  the  Russian 
cruiser  Boyarin.  All  her  officers  and  crew,  197  in  number,  were 
lost. 

The  Bayarin  was  348  feet  long,  41  feet  beam  and  16  feet  draft. 
She  was  of  3,200  tons  displacement  and  her  trial  speed  was  twenty- 
five  knots.  Her  armament  consisted  of  six  4.7-inch  guns,  eight  1.8- 
inch  guns;  two  1.4-inch  guns  and  three  machine  guns.  She  was 
also  fitted  with  six  torpedo  tubes.  The  Bayarin  was  last  reported, 
prior  to  its  destruction,  as  having  taken  part  in  the  engagement  of 
Feb.  9,  at  Port  Arthur. 

TREASON   IN  THE  RANKS? 

That  two  Russian  warships  should  be  blown  up  accidentally  by  their 
own  mines  in  Port  Arthur's  waters  was  most  remarkable.  It  was 
taken  to  indicate  either  a  state  of  demoralization  or  a  lack  of  discipline 
which  is  almost  inconceivable. 

In  some  quarters  the  suggestion    was    made  and    received  some 


82  THE  GREAT  WAR  IN  THE  EAST. 

credence  that  these  strange  disasters  may  have  been  the  work  of  revo- 
lutionists pressed  into  the  service  of  the  Czar. 

The  loss  of  neither  of  the  vessels  thus  blown  up  affected  the  fighting 
strength  of  the  Russian  fleet  to  any  extent,  but  the  fact  of  the  acci- 
dental explosions  did  not  look  well  for  the  efhciency  of  the  Czar's 
naval  forces. 

STORM    PREVENTS    ANOTHER   ATTACK. 

Throughout,  a  withering,  menacing  attack  was  kept  up  upon  Port 
Arthur  and  the  fleet  there.  Only  a  heavy  storm  spared  the  Russians 
from  a  desperate  torpedo  attack  in  force  at  Port  Arthur  on  the  morn- 
ing of  Sunday,  Feb.  14. 

During  the  preceding  night  the  vessels  of  the  Japanese  flotilla  of 
torpedo  craft  were  parted  by  the  force  of  the  blinding  snowstorm 
so  that  only  two  of  the  larger  destroyers  succeeded  in  forcing  their 
way  through  the  fierce  gale  to  Port  Arthur. 

When  they  arrived  there  they  attacked  separately  and  the  officers 
of  one  of  them  reported  they  were  confident  that  they  succeeded  in 
torpedoing  a  Russian  warship. 

Anarchy  truly  reigned  on  all  sides  and  throughout  northern  and 
eastern  Asia  abuses,  pillage  and  murder  became  rampant.  The  lowest 
instincts  in  human  nature  had  been  aroused  and  mankind  was  burn- 
ing with  desire  to  share  in  the  disorder.  Personal  rights  and  privi- 
leges disappeared  and  the  land  teemed  with  non-combatants  of  every 
kind,  seeking  to  escape  the  war-cursed  spot.  Away  to  the  south,  in 
China,  new  embarrassments  confronted  Russia,  where  the  Russian 
gunboat  Mandjui,  isolated  and  bottled  by  a  superior  Japanese  force 
sought  refuge  in  the  Yang-tse  Kiang  river  and  after  her  commandei 
had  vainly  offered  to  disarm  his  ship  until  after  the  close  of  hostilities, 
refused  to  depart.  China,  under  the  ordinary  rules  of  neutrality,  was 
compelled  to  enforce  departure  within  24  hours.  Defying  Japan  and 
China  alike,  the  Russian  commander  lay  in  his  snug  berth  refusing  to 
come  out  to  certain  defeat,  and  contributing  to  China's  embarrass- 
ment. 


PREPARATIONS  FOR  LAND  BATTLES.        83 

By  Sunday,  Feb.  21,  two  weeks  after  the  opening  shot,  the  crash  of 
warfare  could  be  heard  over  a  battle  line  of  a  thousand  miles,  reaching 
nearly  from  Port 'Arthur  to  Vladivostok.  Harbin,  where  the  Chinese 
Eastern  Railway  branches  off  from  the  Trans-Siberian  road  and  runs 
southward  to  Port  Arthur,  had  been  selected  to  be  the  great  military 
center  of  Russia's  operations.  Viceroy  Alexieff,  convinced  that  Port 
Arthur  must  sooner  or  later  fall  into  the  enemy's  hands,  unless  un- 
expected succor  was  at  hand,  decided  upon  the  change  of  base  before 
necessities  might  compel  it. 

TRANSFER   OF   RUSSIAN    HEADQUARTERS. 

With  this  in  view  he  began  concentrating  his  forces  at  Harbin, 
which  is  so  far  back  from  the  coast  that  there  was  little  likelihood  of 
the  Japanese  ever  being  able  to  reach  it.  It  is  far  enough  back  also 
to  render  it  improbable  that  the  Japanese  would  be  able  to  get  in  his 
rear  and  by  destroying  the  railroad  cut  off  his  communications  with 
the  west. 

Instead  of  sending  more  troops  to  Port  Arthur  they  were  concen- 
trated at  Harbin  as  they  arrived  from  Russia  and  from  there  dis- 
patched to  such  points  as  required  their  presence.  Some  were  sent 
south  to  Newchwang,  Antung  and  the  points  along  the  Yalu,  and 
others  east  to  Vladivostok,  which  the  Japanese  were  expected  to  at- 
tack as  soon  as  the  opening  of  spring  permitted. 

The  Russian  fleet  in  Port  Arthur  harbor  was  seriously  hampered 
by  the  congestion  of  the  anchorage  for  large  ships.  Several  big  Rus- 
sian merchantmen  in  the  harbor  dared  not  leave,  as  to  do  so  would 
mean  almost  certain  capture  by  the  Japanese.  The  harbor  naturally 
affords  perfect  shelter  and  good  anchorage  for  a  number  of  large  ves- 
sels, but  with  the  battleships,  cruisers  and  merchantmen  it  was  so 
crowded  that  the  warships  were  greatly  inconvenienced. 

The  water  supply  in  Port  Arthur  is  poor  at  best,  and  much  incon- 
venience was  suffered  both  by  the  fleet  and  garrison  from  this  source 
under  the  conditions  that  were  enforced. 

Two  big  steamers  belonging  to  the  Okhotsk-Kamchatka  Company 


84  THE  GREAT  WAR  IN  THE  EAST. 

were  captured  by  Japanese  cruisers  just  outside  of  Port  Arthur  har- 
bor. The  Kolik  and  the  Bovrik,  after  having  been  shut  up  in  the 
harbor  for  ten  days,  attempted  to  escape.  The  Japanese  warships  were 
not  in  sight  and  it  was  believed  that  the  coast  was  clear.  The  steamers 
got  under  way  and  left  the  harbor,  but  were  only  a  few  miles  out 
when  Japanese  warships  appeared  and  made  prizes  of  both,  taking  them 
to  Nagasaki. 

IMPERIAL  CRY  FOR  VENGEANCE. 

In  the  face  of  these  conditions  and  with  a  great  war  just  opening, 
the  embarrassment  of  the  Russians  was  made  known  to  the  people  in 
an  official  proclamation,  urging  patience  and  breathing  forth  the  spirit 
of  vengeance  with  which  the  Czar's  campaign  was  henceforth  con- 
ducted.   The  full  text  of  this  unusual  document  follows : 

"Eight  days  have  now  elapsed  since  all  Russia  was  shaken  with  pro- 
found indignation  against  an  enemy  who  suddenly  broke  off  negotia- 
tions and  by  a  treacherous  attack  endeavored  to  obtain  an  easy  success 
in  a  war  long  desired.  The  Russian  nation,  with  natural  impatience, 
desires  prompt  vengeance  and  awaits  feverishly  news  from  the  far 
East. 

"The  unity  and  strength  of  the  Russian  people  leave  no  room  for 
doubt  that  Japan  will  receive  the  chastisement  she  deserves  for  her 
treachery  and  provocation  to  war  at  a  time  when  our  beloved  sovereign 
desired  to  maintain  peace  among  the  nations.  The  conditions  under 
which  hostilities  are  being  carried  on  compel  us  to  wait  with  patience 
news  of  the  success  of  our  troops,  which  cannot  occur  before  decisive 
actions  are  fought  by  the  Russian  army. 

"The  distance  of  the  territory  and  the  desire  of  the  Emperor  to 
maintain  peace  were  the  causes  of  the  impossibility  of  more  complete 
and  earlier  preparations  for  war. 

"Much  time  is  now  necessary  in  order  to  strike  at  Japan,  but  it  is 
worthy  of  the  dignity  and  might  of  Russia  and,  while  sparing  as  much 
as  possible  the  shedding  of  blood  of  her  children  to  inflict  just  chastise- 
ment upon  the  nation  which  has  provoked  the  struggle,  Russia  must 


PREPARATIONS  FOR  LAND  BATTLES.        85 

await  the  event  in  patience,  being  sure  that  our  army  will  avenge  a 
hundredfold  that  provocation. 

"Operations  on  land  must  not  be  expected  for  some  time  yet  and 
we  cannot  obtain  early  news  from  the  theater  of  war.  The  useless 
shedding  of  blood  is  unworthy  the  greatness  and  power  of  Russia. 

"Our  country  displays  such  unity  and  desire  for  self-sacrifice  on 
behalf  of  the  national  cause  that  all  true  news  from  the  scene  of  hos- 
tilities will  be  immediately  due  to  the  entire  nation." 

THE  VICEROY'S  PROCLAMATION. 

At  the  same  time,  much  the  same  spirit  was  sounded  in  an  order 
issued  to  the  besieged  troops  at  Port  Arthur  by  Viceroy  Alexieff.  The 
document  follows : 

"A  heroic  army  and  fleet  have  been  instrusted  to  me  by  his  majesty, 
the  Emperor,  and  now,  when  the  eyes  of  the  Czar  of  Russia  and  of 
the  world  are  upon  us,  we  must  remember  that  it  is  our  sacred  duty 
to  protect  the  Czar  and  the  fatherland. 

"Russia  is  great  and  powerful  and  if  our  foe  is  strong  this  must 
give  us  additional  strength  and  power  to  fight  him.  The  spirit  of  the 
Russian  soldiers  and  sailors  is  high.  Our  army  and  navy  know  many 
renowned  names,  which  must  in  this  hour  serve  as  an  example  to  us. 

"Our  God,  who  has  always  upheld  the  cause  that  is  just,  is  doing  so 
now.  Let  us  unite  for  the  coming  struggle ;  let  every  man  be  of  tran- 
quil mind,  in  order  the  better  to  fulfill  his  duty,  trusting  in  the  help 
of  the  Almighty,  and  let  every  man  perform  his  task,  remembering 
that  prayer  to  God  and  service  to  the  Emperor  are  never  wasted. 

"Long  live  the  Emperor  and  the  fatherland !  God  be  with  us !  Hur- 
rah!" 

Such  was  the  spirit  that  closed  the  first  period  of  the  war,  ushering 
in  another  and  equally  bloody  epoch. 


CHAPTER  V. 
THE  CAUSE  OF  THE  WAR. 

Russia's  March  to  the  Pacific — War  Over  the  Fruits  of  War — Hermit  Monarch  Has 
American  Wife — The   Great  Commissary   Question — Language   Difficulty. 

CHRISTENDOM'S  mightiest  power  and  the  greatest  of 
heathen  and  semi-heathen  nations  springing  at  each  other's 
throat!  All  the  wondering  world  watched  the  deadly  strug- 
gle with  bated  breath.  Destruction  of  fleets  and  the  annihilation  of 
armies  followed  so  thick  and  fast,  echoing  around  the  globe  through 
the  medium  of  the  telegraph  and  the  ever-present  press  correspondent, 
that  the  stirring  scenes  at  the  theater  of  war  absorbed  the  universal 
attention  to  the  exclusion  of  consideration  of  the  cause. 

Why  this  sudden  call  to  arms — this  epoch-making  warfare  of  Jap 
and  Russ  ?  What  has  stirred  the  slumbering  fires  of  war,  inherent  in 
the  human  breast,  and  made  Manchuria  and  Korea  a  reeking  altar  of 
human  sacrifice  to  War? 

Russia's  march  to  the  pacific. 

The  great  white  Czar  has  arrived  on  the  Pacific.  For  years  the 
world  has  had  a  nebulous  vision  of  a  grim,  gray,  militant  figure  loom- 
ing dimly  upon  the  frozen  shores  of  that  ocean.  Colossal  though  its 
proportions,  its  outlines  were  vague,  indistinct,  uncertain,  indefinite.  In 
a  haze  of  arctic  fogs  it  appeared  merely  a  sentinel  of  the  ice-locked  har- 
bors of  the  distant  Czar.    Lately  the  silent  specter  has  commanded  the 

attention  of  the  thinkers  of  the  world,  of  diplomats,  cabinets  and  men 

86 


THE  CAUSE  OF  THE  WAR  87 

who  train  to  march  to  death  at  the  cannon's  mouth.  Russia  the  land- 
locked, Russia  the  feared,  hated  and  despised,  was  slowly  but  surely 
sweeping  aside  the  barriers  imposed  upon  her  at  home  by  the  powers 
of  Europe,  and  with  stealthy,  noiseless  tread  was  reaching  its  long- 
coveted  goal — a  free  and  open-all-year  seaport. 

Incidentally,  Russia  was  taking  to  herself  a  territory  of  tremendous 
expanse.  The  British  lion,  with  inherited  suspicion  and  traditional 
hatred,  lashed  himself  in  silent  fury  and  ill-concealed  apprehension. 
The  other  great  European  powers  looked  on  in  jealous  awe,  fearful  of 
what  the  future  held  in  store.  Action  remained  for  the  pygmy  of  the 
nations— the  little,  ant-like  Jap — to  discover  that  his  future  was 
jeopardized  by  the  encroachments  of  Russia.  It  requires  no  great 
stretch  of  the  imagination,  to  reason  that  diplomatic  counsel  of  the 
lion  played  no  small  part  in  determining  the  ant  to  rise,  and  smite  the 
bear.  However  that  may  be,  rise  she  did,  smiting  in  darkness  and  by 
day — relentless,  resourceful  and  tireless  in  her  deadly,  destructive 
energy. 

Russia's  destiny  lies  eastward. 

Russia,  since  Rurik  reorganized  the  pastoral  communities  which 
formed  the  nucleus  of  the  huge  autocracy,  has  obeyed  what  the  Ger- 
mans appropriately  express  as  the  Drang  nach  Osten,  an  unconscious 
impulse  to  expand  eastward,  just  as  American  civilization  has  moved 
in  a  constant  westward  direction.  When  the  Muscovite  was  still  a 
neglible  quantity  in  European  politics  he  crossed  the  Asiatic  conti- 
nent and  established  himself  on  its  northeast  coast.  His  modern 
method  of  aggressive  expansion  dates  from  the  time  when  occidental 
nations,  the  United  States  included,  began  to  discuss  earnestly  the 
advisability  of  opening  Japan.  Count  Muravief  was  appointed  gover- 
nor-general of  Siberia  in  1S48.  Soon  after  his  arrival  he  organized 
an  expedition  to  explore  the  Amur  region.  This  expedition  came  to 
grief,  but,  nothing  daunted,  he  dispatched  another  better  equipped. 
Upon  its  return  and  after  reading  the  exhaustive  report,  the  count 
hastened  to  St.  Petersburg  and  came  back  with  a  free  hand. 


88  THE  GREAT  WAR  IN  THE  EAST. 

From  that  time  dates  the  modern  Russian  policy,  at  least  so  far  as 
its  Asiatic  representatives  are  concerned.  It  has  always  remained  the 
same  unchanging  program — a  step  eastward  and  southward  and  then 
another  as  soon  as  the  great  bear  has  caught  its  second  breath. 

This  policy  encountered  no  check  until  it  clashed  with  that  of  Japan. 
The  ant,  too,  had  ambitions  and  dreams  of  empire.  Its  field  of  destiny 
lay  to  the  west.  Somewhere  and  at  some  time  the  advance  agents  of 
Russian  and  Japanese  civilization  and  absorption  were  bound  to  meet 
in  positions  diametrically  opposed.  The  time  and  place  have  been 
reached.     Hence,  the  war. 

THE  REAL  FIGHT   OVER   KOREA. 

To  understand  the  cause  of  war,  it  must  be  remembered  that  Korea, 
not  Manchuria,  is  the  real  object  of  the  struggle.  Russia  needed  that 
hapless  peninsula,  with  its  ice-free  harbors,  as  an  eastern  outlet  for  her 
vast  Trans-Siberian  railway  system,  upon  which  she  has  spent  nearly 
$500,000,000,  and  which  is  the  key  cf  her  power  in  Manchuria,  the 
only  means  of  developing  the  vast  resources  of  Siberia.  Japan  wanted 
Korea  because  it  is  the  only  part  of  the  Asiatic  mainland  to  which  her 
crowded  island  population  and  commerce  can  expand.  Besides,  the 
Korean  people — about  10,000,000  in  number,  occupying  85,000 
square  miles — are  cowardly,  inane  and  easy  of  conquest. 

When,  years  ago,  united  Europe,  led  by  Great  Britain,  refused  to 
allow  Russia  to  occupy  Constantinople  and  set  the  Sultan  of  Turkey 
as  a  guard  over  the  entrance  to  the  Black  Sea — thus  depriving  Russia 
of  the  free  naval  use  of  her  only  southern  or  ice-free  ports — Russia 
turned  her  face  toward  the  far  East  and  then  began  the  building  of 
that  immense  railway  to  Vladivostok,  on  the  Pacific  Ocean,  which  is 
transforming  the  green  wastes  of  Siberia  into  wheat  farms.  But 
Vladivostok  was  a  frozen  port  in  winter.  Russia  needed  an  outlet 
in  Asia  beyond  her  southern  frontier.  Her  statesmen  picked  out  Port 
Lazareff,  on  the  eastern  shore  of  Korea,  and  Tort  Arthur,  on  the 
Liaotong  Peninsula,  Manchuria,  as  desirable  harbors.  Her  diplomats 
began  to  work  toward  them. 


THE  CAUSE  OF  THE  WAR.  89 

Japan  began  to  take  notice.  For  years  it  had  been  her  supreme  am- 
otion to  seize  Korea  and  thus  become  a  continental  power.  She  was 
impatient  of  her  island  isolation.  Not  a  foot  of  soil  on  the  main- 
land belonged  to  her.  With  her  flag  flying  over  Korea — her  nearest 
and  weakest  continental  neighbor — she  would  have  a  right  to  partici- 
pate in  what  was  then  regarded  as  the  impending  collapse  and  division 
of  the  Chinese  empire,  or,  perhaps,  she  might  actually  conquer  and 
rule  the  whole  of  China.  This  dream  was  the  inspiration  of  Japanese 
policy. 

The  poor,  weak,  foolish  Koreans — hermits  for  thousands  of  years 
— had  for  centuries  crouched  between  China  and  Japan,  acknowledg- 
ing each  as  their  suzerain,  anxious  only  to  be  let  alone  with  their 
hermit  civilization — hopelessly  sunk  in  Buddhist  abstractions  and  al- 
most incredible  superstition. 

Ten  years  ago  Japan  had  her  first  modern  army  and  navy  ready. 
It  was  a  new  toy,  and  the  Japanese  were  eager  to  use  it.  Japan  pro- 
voked a  war  with  China  in  the  summer  of  1894.  With  an  army  of 
about  25,000  men  she  drove  the  Chinese  out  of  Korea.  With  another 
army  of  about  23,000  men  she  invaded  Manchuria,  conquering  the 
whole  Liaotong  Peninsula,  including  its  two  great  military  and  naval 
strongholds,  Port  Arthur  and  Talienwan.  China  sued  for  peace,  and, 
among  other  considerations,  ceded  to  Japan  the  Liaotong  Peninsula, 
with  its  magnificent  forts  and  harbors. 

When  Li  Hung  Chang  was  about  to  sign  this  treaty  of  Shimonoseki 
the  Russian  admiral,  who  was  present,  laid  his  naked  sword  on  the 
document,  and,  in  the  name  of  Russia,  forbade  the  treaty.  It  was 
signed,  nevertheless. 

WAR  OVER  THE  FRUITS  OF  WAR. 

Thereupon  Russia,  warmly  supported  by  France  and  Germany— 
who  regarded  the  presence  of  Japan  on  the  Asiatic  mainland  as  a 
menace  to  the  peace  of  the  world  and  the  integrity  of  China — com- 
pelled Japan  to  relinquish  her  right  to  the  Liaotong  Peninsula. 

Japan  protested,  but  submitted.     That  was  a  bitter  experience,  but 


go  THE  GREAT  WAR  IN  THE  EAST. 

there  was  a  bitterer  yet  to  come.  After  forcing  the  Japanese  out  of 
Manchuria,  Russia,  under  a  treaty  with  China,  leased  Port  Arthur, 
built  a  branch  of  her  Trans-Siberian  railway  to  that  port,  and  calmly 
took  possession  of  the  Liaotong  Peninsula  herself — the  very  territory 
from  which  she  had  expelled  japan  only  a  short  time  before.  The 
fury  of  Japan  can  hardly  be  expressed  in  words. 

Presently  it  became  evident  to  the  whole  world  that  Russia  was 
actually  annexing  the  whole  of  Manchuria,  a  territory  of  363,610 
square  miles,  with  a  population  of  8,500,000  persons.  Her  soldiers  and 
civil  officers  were  in  authority  everywhere.  Russia  had  agreed  to 
maintain  the  "open  door" — commercial  equality  with  herself  for  all 
nations — in  her  future  acquisition  of  territory  in  Asia.  The  United 
States,  within  a  year  of  the  opening  of  the  Japanese-Russian  war,  in 
1903  requested  her  to  withdraw  her  forces  from  Manchuria.  She 
agreed  but  did  not  keep  her  agreement. 

Japan  was  aroused  by  signs  of  Russian  influence  in  the  Korean 
Peninsula,  which  extends  southward  from  the  Manchurian  frontier. 
It  was  evident  that  Russia  was  slowly  pushing  her  authority  into  the 
land  of  the  hermits,  the  only  part  of  the  world  into  which  the  Japanese 
could  expand,  the  territorial  prize  which  they  had  been  saving  and 
coveting  with  greedy  eyes  for  years.  Russia  craved  the  ice-free 
Korean  ports.  She  was  also  anxious  to  avoid  having  an  ambitious, 
restless  military  nation  as  a  neighbor,  such  as  Japan  would  prove. 

Japan  called  upon  Russia  to  withdraw  from  Manchuria  and  she  at- 
tempted to  secure  the  military  support  of  the  United  States  and  Great 
Britain  in  making  the  demand.  In  this  she  failed.  Russia  practically 
ignored  her,  and  neither  British  nor  American  policy  could  go  to  the 
length  of  an  armed  alliance.  Great  Britain  had  allied  herself  by  treaty 
with  Japan  for  the  maintenance  of  the  independence  and  integrity  of 
China  and  Korea.  But  neither  nation  was  to  be  called  upon  for  armed 
assistance  unless  one  or  the  other  were  attacked  by  two  nations. 

ISSUE  DEFINED  BY  JAPAN. 

Then  Japan  dropped  her  mask.     She  practically  proposed  to  recog- 


THE  CAUSE  OF  THE  WAR.  91 

nize  Russia  in  Manchuria  if  Russia  would  recognize  Japan  in  Korea 
— each  nation  to  maintain  the  commercial  "open  door"  in  its  new 
sphere  of  influence.  Russia,  which  by  this  time  had  set  Admiral 
Alexieff  as  her  viceroy  in  Port  Arthur,  with  power  second  only  to  the 
Czar  himself,  over  all  her  possessions  in  the  far  East,  offered  to  recog- 
nize Japan  in  the  south  of  Korea  while  she  herself  would  dominate  the 
north  of  Korea.  Japan  refused  to  agree  to  this  and  repeated  her  de- 
mand, coupling  it  with  a  demand  that  Russia  should  give  a  guarantee 
— her  promise  being  insufficient — for  the  future  evacuation  of  Man- 
churia. Finally,  weary  of  diplomatic  delay  and  exasperated  by  the 
sight  of  Russian  troops  gathering  on  the  northern  frontier  of  Korea 
and  the  Russian  fleet  obviously  preparing  for  war  at  Port  Arthur, 
Japan  broke  off  diplomatic  relations  with  Russia  Monday,  Feb.  8,  1904. 
Hostilities  began  that  night,  when  Japanese  torpedo  boats  made  a  sud- 
den attack  on  the  Russian  squadron  at  Port  Arthur,  seriously  damag- 
ing three  ships  and  making  their  escape  practically  uninjured. 

"HERMir"  MONARCH  HAS  AMERICAN  WIFE. 

Admitting  possession  of  Korea  as  the  real  objective  of  the  struggle, 
there  was  grotesque  and  gigantic  humor  in  the  fact  that  neither  Russia 
nor  Japan  appeared  to  care  what  the  Emperor  of  Korea  or  his  people 
thought  about  the  matter.  That  unhappy  and  defenseless  monarch, 
surrounded  by  hundreds  of  concubines — his  wife  being  an  American 
girl — sent  forth  a  wailing  appeal  to  the  Christian  powers  of  the 
world  to  save  his  country  and  his  crown. 

America's  relation  to  korea. 

A  curious  fact,  too,  was  disclosed  in  the  unique  position  of  the 
United  States — the  first  nation  with  which  Korea  negotiated  a  general 
treaty,  opening  her  ports.  We  had  incurred  special  obligations  to  pro- 
tect the  peninsula.  Here  is  a  significant  extract  from  the  Korean- 
American  treaty  of  1882: 

"There  shall  be  perpetual  peace  and  friendship  between  the  Presi- 
dent of  the  United  States  and  the  King  of  Chosen  (he  was  then  King, 


92  THE  GREAT  WAR  IN  THE  EAST. 

and  Chosen  is  the  native  name  of  Korea)  and  the  citizens  and  subjects 
of  their  respective  governments.  If  other  powers  deal  unjustly  or  op- 
pressively with  either  government,  the  other  will  exert  its  good  offices, 
on  being  informed  of  the  case,  to  bring  about  an  amicable  arrangement, 
thus  showing  their  friendly  feelings." 

THE    GREAT    COMMISSARY    QUESTION. 

The  question  of  commissary  supplies  naturally  played  a  great  part 
in  preparations  for  the  campaign.  The  natives  of  Korea,  fearing  the 
exactions  of  officials,  seldom  raise  more  food  than  is  necessary  for  their 
own  support.  Rice,  black  beans  and  millet  represent  their  food- 
producing  crops.  There  is  little  meat  to  be  found  anywhere.  The 
rice-eating  Japanese  soldiers  can  always  find  partial  subsistence  in  any 
land  like  Korea.  Besides,  Japan  has  a  most  wonderful  way  of  trans- 
porting her  military  supplies  of  rice  and  dried  fish  on  the  backs  of  men 
and  in  little  push-carts,  a  quartermaster  method  wholly  unknown  to  the 
Russian  army.  Most  of  the  country  is  rough  and  roadless,  so  that  it 
is  difficult  for  wagon  trains  to  pass  over  it.  This  proved  in  advance 
plans  a  serious  matter  for  the  heavily  equipped  and  clumsy  quarter- 
master system  of  Russia.  Nor  could  the  Russian  soldiers  find  their 
accustomed  food  in  such  a  country,  being  therefore  forced  to  carry 
their  supplies  with  them. 

LANGUAGE  DIFFICULTY. 

The  difficulty  of  language  was  another  important  point  for  consid- 
eration. There  is  not  the  slightest  similarity  between  the  Korean 
tongue,  written  or  spoken,  and  the  language  of  Russia.  That  would 
make  it  hard  for  a  Russian  general  to  use  the  natives  for  the  purpose 
of  gaining  information,  either  of  the  country  or  the  enemy.  The 
Japanese  and  Koreans  use  virtually  the  same  written  langauge,  al- 
though the  spoken  language  is  entirely  different  and  they  cannot  un- 
derstand each  other  orally.  In  the  war  between  China  and  Japan  the 
Japanese  constantly  made  use  of  the  natives  as  spies  and  guides. 


CHAPTER  VI. 
NO  ROOM  FOR  BOTH  IN  KOREA. 

Either  Japan  or  Russia  Had  to  Leave — Russia's  Manchuria  Promises — Russia 
Threatens  Korea— Why  Japan  Defends  It— What  Does  Russia  Want  of 
Korea? 

HE  primary  cause  of  the  Japanese-Russian  war  was  the  Chino- 
Japanese  war,  as  already  set  forth.  It  will  be  remembered 
that  little  Japan  startled  the  whole  world  with  the  quickness 
and  strength  of  her  blows  against  the  moribund  Chinese  empire.  She 
swept  all  before  her  and  fully  expected  to  reap  her  reward  by  annexing 
certain  of  the  choice  territory  of  China.  Her  "reward"  consisted  of 
holding  a  few  second-rate  war  vessels  and  the  island  of  Formosa. 

After  that  war  Russia  perpetrated  one  of  the  most  colossal  acces- 
sions of  territory  in  history.  Briefly,  the  facts  are  these:  In  1895 
Russia  compelled  Japan  to  give  up  Port  Arthur,  which  controls  the 
gateway  to  Pekin,  Manchuria  and  Mongolia.  In  1897  Russia  secured 
Port  Arthur  for  her  own.  Three  years  later  the  Great  Bear  got  a  foot- 
hold in  Manchuria,  which  covers  363,610  square  miles,  and  has  a 
population  of  8,500,000.  The  Boxer  uprising,  which  Japan  declares 
was  fomented  by  Russia  for  the  purpose  of  making  this  hold  more  cer- 
tain, followed  in  the  next  year.  Of  course,  Russia  poured  into  the  dis- 
trict protective  troops  to  the  number  of  nearly  100,000.  This,  Russia 
said,  was  to  protect  her  Siberian  railway  and  her  interests  along  its 
route. 

Russia's  manchuria  promises. 

At  the  end  of  that  same  year  Russia  obtained  from  China  exclusive 

93 


94  THE  GREAT  WAR  IN  THE  EAST. 

trading  rights  in  Manchuria,  and  in  1902  further  rights  were  ceded 
on  the  promise  that  Russia  would  evacuate  the  province  within  eighteen 
months.  This  Russia  reluctantly  agreed  to  do,  but  never  did. 
lation  as  among  the  leaders.  Months  before  the  opening  of  hostilities 
in  the  negotiations  preceding  the  Boer  war,  or  as  we  of  the  United 
great  colonial  possessions — an  important  part,  indeed,  but  still  only  a 

A  year  before  the  war,  Russia  announced  that  she  would  not 
evacuate  Manchuria  unless  some  more  exclusive  rights  were  given — 
practically  amounting  to  sovereignty,  in  the  interests  of  the  great  rail- 
road she  had  built.  Although  Russia  had  gone  on  record  that  she 
would  keep  her  promise,  especially  to  Secretary  Hay,  she  still  refused 
and  China  was  told  that  the  Russian  troops  would  continue  to  hold 
all  the  important  points  in  Manchuria  until  the  demands  were  acceded 
to.  The  United  States,  Great  Britain  and  Japan  combined  to  hold 
China  firm  in  her  refusal,  and  succeeded.  Russia  poured  more  troops 
in  until  her  railway  was  completely  defended  along  its  entire  route. 

Russia  at  last  made  a  promise  to  the  world  that  she  would  evacuate 
Manchuria,  on  October  8,  1903,  if  she  got  some  special  privileges  from 
China,  which  she  deemed  essential  to  her  gigantic  investments.  These 
were  not  so  stringent  as  her  former  demands,  but  were  denied  by 
China,  backed  as  she  was  by  three  great  powers.  The  incoming  troops 
and  the  fortifications  going  up  caused  China  to  protest  against  this 
aggression,  but  more  troops  and  more  fortifications  was  the  answer. 

RUSSIA  THREATENS  KOREA. 

The  situation  was  then  acute,  but  the  climax  came  whe*i  Russia 
moved  over  to  the  Yalu  river,  dividing  Manchuria  and  Korea,  and 
built  fortifications  and  established  armed  camps.  This  clearly  was  a 
move  to  shut  Japan  from  the  continent.  Japan  always  has  considered 
Korea  as  under  her  especial  protection,  and  has  yearned  to  develop 
westward.  Japanese  interests  in  Korea  are  far  greater  than  those  of 
any  other  country,  and  the  Japs  practically  run  the  commercial  inter- 
ests there,  although  the  biggest  enterprises  are  under  American  con- 
trol. 


NO  ROOM  FOR  BOTH  IN  KOREA.  95 

Why  should  Japan  want  Korea,  save  for  exploitation  ? 

Japan  is  composed  of  many  islands  jutting  out  from  the  Korean 
coast,  the  nearest  point  between  the  two  countries  being  some  sixty 
odd  miles  and  only  150  miles  between  Korea  and  the  main  island  of 
Japan.  The  area  of  Japan  (including  Formosa)  is  162,000  square 
miles,  and  its  population  is  47,000,000.  Here  is  a  country  the  size 
of  California,  that  state  having  a  population  of  only  1,300,000.  The 
density  of  Japan's  population  is  nearly  300  per  square  mile,  or,  in  other 
words,  Japan  is  like  a  huge  and  continuous  village  in  American  rural 
districts,  spreading  over  all  its  land. 

Every  inch  of  Japanese  soil  is  utilized  and  were  the  people  like 
Americans,  requiring  a  diversity  and  immensity  of  food  products,  they 
could  not  live.  As  it  is,  Japan  is  a  big  importer  of  food  products.  Its 
busy  artisans  export  $115,000,000  worth  of  material  each  year,  while 
its  imports  are  about  $2,000,000  in  excess  of  the  foregoing  figures. 

The  fecundity  of  the  Japs  is  well  known,  and  it  is  imperative  that 
more  land  be  obtained.  Already  more  than  1,000,000  of  them  live 
in  Korea,  China  and  the  United  States.  Korea  is  large  enough  and 
sparsely  settled  enough  to  provide  for  25,000,000  souls,  living  as  they 
do  in  Japan. 

The  clash  between  Russia  and  Japan  had  been  fermenting  for  nearly 
ten  years.  When  the  Powers  of  Europe  interfered  in  the  Chino-Japan 
war,  and  at  its  close  insisted  that  Port  Arthur,  the  key  to  Northern 
China,  remain  temporarily  in  the  hands  of  the  Russians,  the  seeds 
of  strife  and  discord  were  sown  that  bore  the  fruits  of  war. 

Nor  is  this  surprising,  for  by  right  of  conquest  that  most  important 
post  belonged  certainly  to  Japan,  and  diplomatists  have  since  asserted 
that  European  interference  was  due  to  the  skill  of  Russian  statecraft, 
and  that  the  realm  of  the  Czar  alone  profited  by  the  intermeddling. 

But  even  more  important  than  the  necessity  of  yielding  to  another 
the  fruits  of  her  victory  in  1S94,  Japan's  attitude  in  the  far  East  has 
a  deeper  significance  than  any  one  episode  could  account  for.  She  of 
all  the  Oriental  nations  is  powerfully  and  keenly  alive  to  the  great 


96  THE  GREAT  WAR  IN  THE  EAST. 

events  of  the  last  few  years.  Just  verging  into  the  strength  of  national 
manhood,  she  realizes  the  importance  of  her  position  among  her  dec- 
adent neighbors.  More  nearly  akin  is  she  to  the  Chinese  and  the 
Koreans,  and  more  clearly  does  she  understand  them  than  do  the 
picked  diplomats  of  any  European  country,  not  even  excepting  Russia. 
Ever  since  she  has  become  a  world  power  she  has  cherished  a  plan  for 
the  rejuvenation  of  both  China  and  Korea  under  her  fostering  guid- 
ance, and  every  time  circumstances  seemed  to  conspire  toward  a  real- 
ization of  this  ambition  combined  Europe  has  thwarted  her. 

NO   ROOM    FOR   BOTH. 

Justly  or  not,  she  has  attributed  this  to  the  machinations  of  the 
agents  of  the  Great  White  Bear  at  St.  Petersburg,  busily  engaged  in 
fortifying  her  hard-won  Port  Arthur,  and  making  permanent  the  oc- 
cupation of  Manchuria,  while  the  Czar  repeatedly  assured  her  it  was 
only  temporary.  Such  is  Japan's  view  of  the  Russians'  advance  along 
China's  northern  frontier. 

Nor  is  this  all.  Korea,  like  China,  is  a  decadent  country  whose  na- 
tional existence  is  scarcely  more  than  nominal.  For  years  foreign 
influences  have  directed  her  destinies,  but  racial  and  geographical  pre- 
dilections incline  her  naturally  to  Japanese  leadership.  For  these  rea- 
sons the  Japs  have  dominated  Korean  affairs  to  a  greater  extent  than 
any  outside  nation.  In  self-defense  it  is  almost  imperative  that  she 
continue  to  do  so,  for  with  a  friendly  Korea  she  has  an  opening 
upon  the  continent  of  Asia  and  a  check  upon  the  encroachments  of  the 
Russians. 

But  Korea  is  a  peninsula,  bounded  upon  almost  all  her  land  frontier 
by  that  part  of  Manchuria  in  which  the  Russians  are  predominant,  and 
in  all  countries— Asiatic,  European  and  American — boundary  lines 
have  ever  been  a  fruitful  subject  for  contention,  especially  between 
two  nations,  each  jealous  of  the  other,  and  each  candidly  covetous  of 
the  land  the  boundaries  define. 

Two  such  aggressive  and  mutually  jealous  nations  could  not  operate 
side  by  side  without  friction,  so  the  world  was  not  surprised  when  it 


PORT  ARTHUR,  WHERE  "HE  WAR  OPENED. 


(66) 


A  NEAR  VIEW  OF  PORT  ARTHURS  DOCKYARD. 


(67) 


POSITION   OF  ARMIES  AND   NAVIES  AT  OPENING  OF  THE  WAR.  (45) 


>U  'lil  ia  i  - 


• 


it \i\»tp vty  • 


I'MhH  ...    * 


-^1 1"> 


CHIEF  CENTERS   OF  INTEREST  AT  THE  OUTBREAK  OF  THE  WAR.  (46) 


■- 

WH    GSEaik. 


"okio'Q 


JAPANESE-RUSSIAN    DISTANCES  IN  THE  WAR   FIELD. 

From  Port  Arthur  as  a  center,  circles  are  drawn  on  the  above  map,  one  hundred  miles 
apart,  so  that  the  reader  may  realize  what  a  large  battlefield  was  fought  over  in  the  opening 
stages  of  the  war.  (47) 


v^imr       «vV> 


■at 


THE   NATURAL   RESOURCES  OF  JAPAN   AND   RUSSIA, 


(48) 


*S  OSI  <U  c 


V 


tea  p,«  ^-"-~ 


':}  -  Vi-\7mosioK 


.       ■ 


Copt     x^^ilvsygMM 

> 


)C'-F 


XWCtG 


ir^ 


RUSSIAN  NAVAL  BASES  AND  PORTS. 


(68) 


.M.x'^    J 


<#■    y 


JAPANESE  NAVAL  BASES  AND  PORTS. 


(69) 


JAPANESE  TYPES  OF  ALL  ARMS. 


(49) 


JAPANESE   INFANTRY   IN    SUMMER  AND  WINTER. 


(50) 


I 


•    f 


JAPANESE    MILITIAMAN   AND    MILITARY   POLICE. 


JAPANESE   SOLDIERS   AND    INDIAN    GURKHA. 


(52) 


JAPANESE   INFANTRY  IN   VARIOUS  UNIFORMS. 


(53 


JAPANESE  CAVALRY  IN    SUMMER  AND  WINTER. 


(M) 


TYPES  OF  JAPANESE  INFANTRY. 


(55) 


JAPANESE    INFANTRY,  INCLUDING    KHAKI    UNIFORM. 


(56) 


PACK  CAMELS  IN  SIBERIA. 

In  many  parts  of  Siberia  the  merchants  use  camels  as  pack  animals  to  transport  their 
goods  to  the  market  towns.  The  animals  withstand  the  cold  well,  and  are  good  travelers 
in  the  snow.  (69) 


RUSSIAN  TROOPS  IN  A  MANCHURIAN  CAMP. 

The  advance  of  the  Russian  troops  to  the  Yalu  River,  In  midwinter,  was  accompanied 
by  terrible  hardships.     This  picture  shows  them  in  a  temporary  encampment.  (70) 


THE  CZAR.  CZARINA,  AND  FAMILY. 

c  mTu'S,  mi£ht  be  the  P'cture  of  an  intelligent,  serious-minded  German  family,  but  it  is  that 
of  Nicholas  II,  autocrat  of  all  the  Russias,  and  his  consort,  the  Czarina,  formerly  Princess 
Alice,  of  Hesse-Darmstadt,  and  the  daughter  of  Princess  Alice,  of  Great  Britain,  with  their 
tour  daughters. 


COUNT  LEO  TOLSTOI,  RUSSIAN    NOBLEMAN  AND  PHILOSOPHER. 

A  striking  portrait  of  the  Russian  nobleman,  novelist,  and  moral  philosopher,  who  for 
years  has  fought  for  peasant  and  laborer,  as  against  despotism,  and  who  donated  the  pro- 
ceeds of  1,000  sets  of  his  works  to  support  his  country  in  the  Russian-Japanese  War.    (6TJ4) 


JAPANESE   MINISTER  TO  GREAT  BRITAIN.   BARON   HAYASHI. 

Japan's  representative  at  the  Court  of  St.  James  was  considered  one  of  the  leading 
diplomats  of  the  East,  it  being  considered  especially  important  that  the  Island  Empire  of  the 
East  should  maintain  its  close  relations  with  the  Island  Empire  of  the  West.  (81> 


"GUARDING   RUSSIAN   INTERESTS"  AT  MUKDEN. 

At  the  solicitation  chiefly  of  the  United  States  and  Great  Britain,  Mukden,  the  capital 
of  Manchuria,  shortly  before  the  war,  was  declared  by  China  an  open  port.  A  strong  Rus- 
sian force  is  seen  entering  the  capital  "to  guard  Russian  interests."  (!»' 


RUSSIAN    SAILORS    MOBBED   BY    KOREANS  AT  SEOUL. 

While  the  Russian  consul  and  navvies  were  making  hasty  preparations  to  leave  the 
Korean  capital,  the  feelings  of  the  usually  placid  natives  were  wrought  up  to  such  a  pitch 
that  the  subjects  of  the  Czar  were  often  hustled  rudely  through  the  streets,  despite  the  pro- 
tection which  Japanese  officials  tried  to  afford  them.  (43) 


UNLOADING  JAPANESE   PONIES. 

The  cavalry  of  the  Mikado's  army  were   mounted   on   small,   hardy  Japanese  ponies. 
"Hiey  were  full  of  life  and  fire,  not  unlike  the  Japanese  themselves.  (sa> 


RUSSIAN   ARTILLERY   PLUNGING  THROUGH    MANCHURIA. 

The  moving  of  the  Russian  artillery  through  Manchuria  to  the  Yalu  River,  in  the 
dead  of  winter,  was  one  of  tne  terrific  feats  accomplished  by  the  army  of  the  Czar.  The 
terrific  part  of  the  task  in  this  case  fell  on  the  horses.  (74) 


NO  ROOM  FOR  BOTH  IN  KOREA.  113 

learned  that  diplomatic  correspondence  had  passed  between  Japan  and 
Russia  leading  naturally  to  war  in  the  far  East  unless  one  or  the  other 
abandoned  a  policy  it  had  followed  for  years  and  to  which  it  stood 
firmly  committed.  It  is  not  known  what  various  turns  this  tedious 
correspondence  took,  handled,  as  it  was,  by  men  understanding  well 
the  value  of  secrecy  in  state  affairs.  Every  answer,  every  note,  every 
ultimatum  was  the  forerunner  of  myriads  of  prophecies  of  war,  while 
the  civilized  world  waited  impatiently  praying  for  peace. 

Peace,  however,  was  not  to  result.  The  opposing  interests  of  the 
contending  nations  were  too  close  together,  too  extensive  and  far  too 
intimately  wedded  to  the  future  of  both  countries  to  enable  either  to 
recede  until  driven  back  by  superior  force.  As  a  matter  of  fact,  the 
far  East  is  too  small  to  gratify  the  ambitions  of  both  nations.  To 
recede  was  not  a  part  of  Russia's  policy,  and  to  Japan  the  points  at  is- 
sue seemed  to  threaten  her  position  as  a  power  in  the  Orient,  if  not 
eventually  her  very  independence,  unless  she  boldly  asserted  herself 
and  battled  for  her  principles. 

To  Russia  this  has  been  a  long,  slow  waiting  game;  to  Japan  it  has 
seemed  an  enterprise  demanding  progressive  acquisition.  Delay  has 
ever  been  the  policy  of  the  Great  White  Bear,  a  delay  during  which 
her  grasp  has  strengthened.  Japan  appreciated  this,  hence  the  im- 
patience at  Russia's  dilatory  tactics.  She  knew  that  an  immense  popu- 
lation accompanied  by  correspondingly  great  resources  backed  up  the 
slow,  stolid,  sturdy  men  from  the  North,  and  she  long  appreciated 
the  fact  that  to  dislodge  them  from  their  already  firmly  intrenched  po- 
sition she  must  act  with  audacity  and  dispatch. 

This  feeling  was  as  firmly  rooted  in  the  minds  of  the  Japanese  popu- 
lation as  among  her  leaders.  Months  before  the  opening  of  hostilities 
the  populace  of  the  Flowery  Kingdom  clamored  for  war,  while  the 
citizens  of  St.  Petersburg  and  Moscow  went  about  their  daily  business, 
reading  of  the  far  Eastern  outlook  with  some  enthusiasm,  it  is  true, 
but  with  such  vague,  indefinite  interest  as  the  Londoners  manifested 
in  the  negotiations  preceding  the  Boer  War,  or  as  we  of  the  United 
States  received  the  spasmodic  escapades  of  Aguinaldo  in  the  Philip- 


n4  THE  GREAT  WAR  IN  THE  EAST. 

pines.  In  short,  Japan  was  on  the  scene.  Her  interests  were  near  at 
home,  and  her  people  felt  that  they  were  fighting  for  their  country's 
national  existence,  while,  on  the  other  hand,  the  Russians,  nearly 
10,000  miles  away,  viewed  the  conflict  as  a  part  of  the  annoyances  of 
great  colonial  possessions — an  important  fact,  indeed,  but  still  only  a 
part. 

WHAT  DOES  RUSSIA  WANT  OF   KOREA? 

The  master  minds — and  for  ages  the  highest  Russian  ministers  have 
been  such — who  planned  that  gigantic  undertaking,  the  Trans-Siberian 
railway,  probably  mapped  out,  step  by  step,  the  movements  that  have 
followed.  Page  after  page  might  be  covered  with  interesting  narra- 
tives of  this  great  project,  for  it  certainly  is  one  of  the  greatest  things 
ever  attempted  in  the  world's  history,  including  as  it  does  the  various 
ramifications  into  diplomacy,  conquest  and  commercial  activity,  both 
on  land  and  sea. 

The  great  railway  is  a  fact ;  it  extends  from  St.  Petersburg  across 
the  plains  of  Russia,  over  the  mountains,  through  the  dense  forests  and 
over  the  rolling  steppes  of  drear  Siberia ;  over  gorges,  around  morasses, 
crossing  rivers  and  lakes,  winding  through  Manchuria  to  cover  the  best 
land,  and  circling  at  its  extreme  eastern  end  in  order  to  cover  the  sum- 
mer port  of  Vladivostok  and  the  winter  port  of  Port  Arthur,  and  thus 
reaches  the  tributaries  of  the  great  Pacific. 

An  answer  may  be  found  in  the  declaration  of  an  American  states- 
man that  Russians  count  time  by  centuries,  not  by  days.  Their  em- 
pire is  not  fitted  to  support  a  very  great  population,  but  still  they  now 
have  enough  room  and  to  spare.  But  the  Russians,  counting  time  by 
centuries,  not  by  days,  months  and  weeks,  are  always  figuring  up  the 
future.  They  have  a  population  now  of  140,000,000,  or  more  than 
one-twelfth  of  all  the  people  in  the  world.  They  are  growing  by  the 
natural  process  of  reproduction  at  the  rate  of  3,000,000  a  year.  With- 
out taking  into  consideration  the  increase  by  geometrical  ratio,  in  ten 
years  there  will  be  170,000,000  Russians,  and  in  fifty  years  there  will 
be  300,000,000.  Indeed,  the  Czar  will  need  more  than  Manchuria  to 
house  them. 


NO  ROOM  FOR  BOTH  IN  KOREA. 


ii 


Korea  is  like  the  hind  leg  of  a  rabbit,  with  Vladivostok  at  its  top 
and  Port  Arthur  at  the  gambrel  joint,  and  the  most  important  part 
of  Japan  at  the  toe.  The  broad  and  deep  Yalu  river  separates  Man- 
churia from  Korea.  The  Russians  found  the  Yalu  river  necessary  to 
them.  Vladivostok  is  isolated  from  the  main  terminus  of  the  great 
Siberian  railway.  The  coast  line  of  Korea,  intervening  between 
Vladivostok  and  Port  Arthur, if  Russian,  would  make  the  Czar  supreme 
on  the  western  side  of  the  Pacific.  If  Japanese,  it  would  menace  the 
usefulness  and  military  and  naval  value  of  both  great  ports. 

Such  are  the  stakes  that  tempted  bear  and  ant  to  the  desperate  game 
of  war — such  the  issues  left  for  battle  to  determine. 


American  Interests  enough  for  Uncle  Sam. 


CHAPTER  VII. 
NEUTRALITY  OF  THE  UNITED  STATES. 

The  President's  Proclamation — Warning  to  the  Citizens  of  the  United  States — 
Rights  of  Belligerents — Occupancy  of  Posts — Eights  of  Neutrals  at  Sea — 
Misconduct  at  Peril. 

SCARCE  had  the  report  of  the  nocturnal  onslaught  upon  Port 
Arthur  reached  the  startled  world  before  the  United  States  de- 
clared its  neutral  stand  in  the  great  struggle  in  the  far  East. 
There  was  ample  reason  for  this  seeming  haste. 

DIVISION    OF   SENTIMENT. 

At  home  feeling  ran  high.  There  was  a  marked  division  of  senti- 
ment. The  average  American,  always  with  the  "little  fellow"  in  a 
fight,  hastily  declared  himself  favorable  to  Japan.  Many  deep  think- 
ers were  equally  emphatic  in  expressing  marked  sympathy  for  Russia. 

Russia's  aid  to  the  cause  of  the  Union  during  the  Civil  War  was  not 
entirely  forgotten.  Another  reason  for  pro-Russian  sympathy  lay 
in  the  dread  with  which  the  so-called  "yellow  peril"  was  viewed  by 
man. 

Greater  than  all  other  considerations,  however,  was  the  possibility  of 
misuse  of  American  ports  near  the  scene  of  hostilities.  While  the 
organization  of  military  companies  or  privateering  expeditions  at  home 
was  only  a  remote  possibility  there  was  reason  to  fear  for  complica- 
tions in  the  far-off  Philippines — for  it  could  not  be  overlooked  that 
the  United  States  was  a  great  power  in  the  Pacific  with  a  mighty 
empire  close  to  the  scene  of  war. 

116 


NEUTRALITY  OF  THE  UNITED  STATES.  117 

Two  clays  after  the  first  shot  President  Roosevelt  had  promulgated 
a  proclamation  declaring  the  neutrality  of  the  United  States  govern- 
ment in  no  uncertain  terms.  Both  as  a  state  document  of  interest  and 
as  a  code  of  instructions  governing  the  rights  of  citizens  in  the  premises 
it  is  well  worthy  of  careful  perusal. 

By  the  President  of  the  United  States  of  America: 

A   PROCLAMATION  : 

Whereas,  a  state  of  war  unhappily  exists  between  Japan,  on  the 
one  side,  and  Russia,  on  the  other  side ; 

And  whereas,  the  United  States  are  on  terms  of  friendship  and 
amity  with  both  the  contending  powers  and  with  the  persons  inhabiting 
their  several  dominions ; 

And  whereas,  there  are  citizens  of  the  United  States  residing  within 
the  territories  or  dominions  of  each  of  the  said  belligerents  and  carry- 
ing on  commerce,  trade,  or  other  business  or  pursuits  therein,  pro- 
tected by  the  faith  of  treaties; 

And  whereas,  there  are  subjects  of  eaGh  of  the  said  belligerents  resid- 
ing within  the  territory  or  jurisdiction  of  the  United  States  and  carry- 
ing on  commerce,  trade,  or  other  business  or  pursuits  therein ; 

And  whereas,  the  laws  of  the  United  States,  without  interfering  with 
the  free  expression  of  opinion  and  sympathy,  or  with  the  open  manu- 
facture or  sale  of  arms  or  munitions  of  war,  nevertheless  impose  upon 
all  persons  who  may  be  within  their  territory  and  jurisdiction  the  duty 
of  an  impartial  neutrality  during  the  existence  of  the  contest ; 

And  whereas,  it  is  the  duty  of  a  neutral  government  not  to  permit 
or  suffer  the  making  of  its  waters  subservient  to  the  ourposes  of  war ; 

WARNING   TO   THE   CITIZENS   OF   THE   UNITED   STATES. 

Now,  therefore,  I,  Theodore  Roosevelt,  President  of  the  United 
States  of  America,  in  order  to  preserve  the  neutrality  of  the  United 
States  and  of  their  citizens  and  of  persons  within  their  territory  and 
jurisdiction,  and  to  enforce  their  laws,  and  in  order  that  all  persons, 
being  warned  of  the  general  tenor  of  the  laws  and  treaties  of  the  United 


u8  THE  GREAT  WAR  IN  THE  EAST. 

States  in  this  behalf,  and  of  the  law  of  nations,  may  thus  be  prevented 
from  an  unintentional  violation  of  the  same,  do  hereby  declare  and 
proclaim  that  by  the  act  passed  on  the  20th  day  of  April,  A.  D.,  1818 
commonly  known  as  the  "neutrality  law,"  the  following  acts  are  for 
bidden  to  be  done,  under  severe  penalties,  within  the  territory  and  juris- 
diction of  the  United  States,  to  wit : 

1.  Accepting  and  exercising  a  commission  to  serve  either  of  the 
said  belligerents  by  land  or  by  sea  against  the  other  belligerent. 

2.  Enlisting  or  entering  into  the  service  of  either  of  the  said  bel- 
ligerents as  a  soldier  or  as  a  marine  or  seaman  on  board  of  any  vessel 
of  war,  letter  of  marque  or  privateer. 

3.  Hiring  or  retaining  another  person  to  enlist  or  enter  himself 
in  the  service  of  either  of  the  said  belligerents  as  a  soldier  or  as  a 
marine  or  seaman  on  board  of  any  vessel  of  war,  letter  of  marque  or 
privateer. 

4.  Hiring  another  person  to  go  beyond  the  limits  of  jurisdiction 
of  the  United  States  with  intent  to  be  enlisted  as  aforesaid. 

5.  Hiring  another  person  to  go  beyond  the  limits  of  the  United 
States  with  intent  to  be  entered  into  service  as  aforesaid. 

RIGHT   OF    BELLIGERENTS. 

6.  Retaining  another  person  to  go  beyond  the  limits  of  the  United 
States  with  intent  to  be  enlisted  as  aforesaid. 

7.  Retaining  another  person  to  go  beyond  the  limits  of  the  United 
States  to  be  entered  into  service  as  aforesaid.  (But  the  said  act  is  not 
to  be  construed  to  extend  to  a  citizen  of  either  belligerent  who,  being 
transiently  within  the  United  States,  shall,  on  board  of  any  vessel  of 
war,  which,  at  the  time  of  its  arrival  within  the  United  States,  was 
fitted  and  equipped  as  such  vessel  of  war,  enlist  or  enter  himself  or  hire 
or  retain  another  subject  or  citizen  of  the  same  belligerent,  who  is  tran- 
siently within  the  United  States,  to  enlist  or  enter  himself  to  serve  such 
belligerent  on  board  such  vessel  of  war,  if  the  United  States  shall  then 
be  at  peace  with  such  belligerent.) 

8.  Fitting  out  and  arming,  or  attempting  to  fit  out  and  arm,  or 


NEUTRALITY  OF  THE  UNITED  STATES.  119 

procuring  to  be  fitted  out  and  armed,  or  knowingly  being  concerned 
in  the  furnishing,  fitting  out  or  arming  of  any  ship  or  vessel  with 
intent  that  such  ship  or  vessel  shall  be  employed  in  the  service  of  either 
of  the  belligerents. 

9.  Issuing  or  delivering  a  commission  within  the  territory  or  juris- 
diction of  the  United  States  for  any  ship  or  vessel  to  the  intent  that 
she  may  be  employed  as  aforesaid. 

AFFECTING  SHIPS  OF  WAR. 

10.  Increasing  or  augmenting,  or  procuring  to  be  increased  or 
augmented,  or  knowingly  being  concerned  in  increasing  or  augment- 
ing, the  force  of  any  ship  of  war,  cruiser  or  other  armed  vessel,  which 
at  the  time  of  her  arrival  within  the  United  States  was  a  ship  of  war, 
cruiser  or  armed  vessel  in  the  service  of  either  of  the  said  belligerents, 
or  belonging  to  the  subjects  of  either,  by  adding  to  the  number  of  guns 
of  such  vessels,  or  by  changing  those  on  board  of  her  for  guns  of  a 
larger  calibre,  or  by  the  addition  thereto  of  any  equipment  solely 
applicable  to  war. 

11.  Beginning  or  setting  on  foot  or  providing  or  preparing  the 
means  for  any  military  expedition  or  enterprise  to  be  carried  on  from 
the  territory  or  jurisdiction  of  the  United  States  against  the  territory 
or  dominions  of  either  of  the  said  belligerents. 

And  I  do  hereby  further  declare  and  proclaim  that  any  frequenting 
and  use  of  the  waters  within  the  territorial  jurisdiction  of  the  United 
States  by  the  vessels  of  either  belligerent,  whether  public  ships  or  priva- 
teers for  the  purpose  of  preparing  for  hostile  operations,  or  as  posts 
of  observation  upon  the  ships  of  war  or  privateers  or  merchant  vessels 
of  the  other  belligerent  lying  within  or  being  about  to  enter  the  juris- 
diction of  the  United  States,  must  be  regarded  as  unfriendly  and 
offensive,  and  in  violation  of  that  neutrality  which  it  is  the  determina- 
tion of  this  government  to  observe ; 

And  to  the  end  that  the  hazard  and  inconvenience  of  such  appre- 
hended practices  may  be  avoided,  I  further  proclaim  and  declare  that 


120  THE  GREAT  WAR  IN  THE  EAST. 

from  and  after  the  1 5th  day  of  February  instant,  and  during  the  con- 
tinuance of  the  present  hostilities  between  Japan  and  Russia,  no 
ship  of  war  or  privateer  of  either  belligerent  shall  be  premitted  to  make 
use  of  any  port,  harbor,  roadstead,  or  waters  subject  to  the  jurisdiction 
of  the  United  States  from  which  a  vessel,  of  the  other  belligerent 
(whether  the  same  shall  be  a  ship  of  war,  a  privateer,  or  a  merchant 
ship)  shall  have  previously  departed  until  after  the  expiration  of  at 
least  twenty-four  hours  from  the  departure  of  such  last  mentioned 
vessel  beyond  the  jurisdiction  of  the  United  States. 

OCCUPANCY  OF  PORTS. 

If  any  ship  of  war  or  privateer  of  either  belligerent  shall,  after  the 
time  of  this  notification  takes  effect,  enter  any  port,  harbor,  roadstead, 
or  waters  of  the  United  States,  such  vessel  shall  be  required  to  depart 
and  to  put  to  sea  within  twenty-four  hours  after  her  entrance  into  such 
port,  harbor,  roadstead,  or  waters,  except  in  case  of  stress  of  weather  or 
of  her  requiring  provisions  or  things  necessary  for  the  subsistence  of 
her  crews,  or  for  repairs;  in  either  of  which  cases  the  authorities  of  the 
port  or  of  the  nearest  port  (as  the  case  may  be)  shall  require  her  to 
put  to  sea  as  soon  as  possible  after  the  expiration  of  such  period  of 
twenty-four  hours,  without  permitting  her  to  take  in  supplies  beyond 
what  may  be  necessary  for  her  immediate  use. 

And  no  such  vessel  which  may  have  been  permitted  to  remain  within 
the  waters  of  the  United  States  for  the  purpose  of  repair  shall  con- 
tinue within  such  port,  harbor,  roadstead  or  waters  for  a  longer  period 
than  twenty-four  hours  after  her  necessary  repairs  shall  have  been 
completed  unless  within  such  twenty-four  hours  a  vessel,  whether  ship 
of  war,  privateer  or  merchant  ship  of  the  other  belligerent,  shall  have 
departed  therefrom,  in  which  case  the  time  limited  for  the  departure  of 
such  ship  of  war  or  privateer  shall  be  extended  so  far  as  may  be  neces- 
sary to  secure  an  interval  of  not  less  than  twenty-four  hours  between 
such  departure  and  that  of  any  ship  of  war,  privateer  or  merchant  ship 
of  the  other  belligerent  which  may  have  previously  quit  the  same  port, 
harbor,  roadstead  or  waters. 


NEUTRALITY  OF  THE  UNITED  STATES.  121 

No  ship  of  war  or  privateer  of  either  belligerent  shall  be  detained 
in  any  port,  harbor,  roadstead  or  waters  of  the  United  States  more 
than  twenty-four  hours,  by  reason  of  the  successive  departures  from 
such  port,  harbor,  roadstead  or  waters  of  more  than  one  vessel  of  the 
other  belligerent.  But  if  there  be  several  vessels  of  each  or  either  of 
the  two  belligerents  in  the  same  port,  harbor,  roadstead  or  waters,  the 
order  of  their  departure  therefrom  shall  be  so  arranged  as  to  afford  the 
opportunity  of  leaving  alternately  to  the  vessels  of  the  respective  bel- 
ligerents, and  to  cause  the  least  detention  consistent  with  the  objects 
of  this  proclamation. 

No  ship  of  war  or  privateer  of  either  belligerent  shall  be  permitted, 
while  in  any  port,  harbor,  roadstead  or  waters  within  the  jurisdiction 
of  the  United  States,  to  take  in  any  supplies  except  provisions  ancl  such 
other  things  as  may  be  requisite  for  the  sustenance  of  her  crew  and 
except  so  much  coal  only  as  may  be  sufficient  to  carry  such  vessel,  if 
without  any  sail  power,  to  the  nearest  port  of  her  own  country ;  or  in 
case  the  vessel  is  rigged  to  go  under  sail,  and  may  also  be  propelled 
by  steam  power,  then  with  half  the  quantity  of  coal  which  she  would 
be  entitled  to  receive  if  dependent  upon  steam  alone,  and  no  coal  shall 
be  again  supplied  to  any  such  ship  of  war  or  privateer  in  the  same  or 
any  other  port,  harbor,  roadstead  or  waters  of  the  United  States,  with- 
out special  permission,  until  after  the  expiration  of  three  months  from 
the  time  when  such  coal  may  have  been  last  supplied  to  her  within 
the  waters  of  the  United  States,  unless  such  ship  of  war  or  privateer 
shall,  since  last  thus  supplied,  have  entered  a  port  of  the  government  to 
which  she  belongs. 

RIGHTS  OF  NEUTRALS  AT  SEA. 

And  I  further  declare  and  proclaim  that  by  the  first  article  of  the 
convention  as  to  rights  of  neutrals  at  sea,  which  was  concluded  between 
the  United  States  of  America  and  his  Majesty  the  Emperor  of  all  the 
Russias,  on  the  22d  day  of  July,  A.  D.  1854,  tne  following  principles 
were  recognized  as  permanent  and  immutable,  to  wit : 

1.     That  free  ships  make  free  goods,  that  is  to  say  that  the  effects 


122  THE  GREAT  WAR  IN  THE  EAST. 

or  goods  belonging  to  subjects  or  citizens  of  a  power  or  State  at  war 
are  free  from  capture  and  confiscation  when  found  on  board  of  neutral 
vessels,  with  the  exception  of  articles  of  contraband  of  war. 

2.  That  the  property  of  neutrals  on  board  an  enemy's  vessel  is  not 
subject  to  confiscation,  unless  the  same  be  contraband  of  war. 

And  I  do  further  declare  and  proclaim  that  the  statutes  of  the  United 
States  and  the  law  of  nations  alike  require  that  no  person,  within  the 
territory  and  jurisdiction  of  the  United  States,  shall  take  part,  directly 
or  indirectly,  in  the  said  war,  but  shall  remain  at  peace  with  each  of 
the  said  belligerents,  and  shall  maintain  a  strict  and  impartial  neu- 
trality, and  that  whatever  privileges  shall  be  accorded  to  one  belligerent 
within  the  ports  of  the  United  States  shall  be,  in  like  manner,  accorded 
to  the  other. 

And  I  do  hereby  enjoin  all  the  good  citizens  of  the  United  States, 
and  all  persons  residing  or  being  within  the  territory  or  jurisdiction  of 
the  United  States,  to  observe  the  laws  thereof  and  to  commit  no  act 
contrary  to  the  provisions  of  the  said  statutes,  or  in  violation  of  the 
law  of  nations  in  that  behalf. 

And  I  do  hereby  warn  all  citizens  of  the  United  States,  and  all  per- 
sons residing  or  being  within  their  territory  or  jurisdiction,  that,  while 
the  free  and  full  expression  of  sympathies  in  public  and  private  is  not 
restricted  by  the  laws  of  the  United  States,  military  forces  in  aid  of 
either  belligerent  cannot  lawfully  be  originated  or  organized  within 
their  jurisdiction;  and  that  while  all  persons  may  lawfully  and  without 
restriction  by  reason  of  the  aforesaid  state  of  war,  manufacture  and 
sell  within  the  United  States  arms  and  munitions  of  war,  and  other 
articles  ordinarily  known  as  "contraband  of  war,"  yet  they  cannot 
carry  such  articles  upon  the  high  seas  for  the  use  or  service  of  either 
belligerent,  nor  can  they  transport  soldiers  and  officers  of  either,  or 
attempt  to  break  any  blockade  which  may  be  lawfully  established  and 
maintained  during  the  war,  without  incurring  the  risk  of  hostile  cap- 
ture and  the  penalties  denounced  by  the  law  of  nations  in  that  behalf. 

And  I  do  hereby  give  notice  that  all  citizens  of  the  United  States 


NEUTRALITY  OF  THE  UNITED  STATES. 


123 


and  others  who  may  claim  the  protection  of  this  government,  who  may 
misconduct  themselves  in  the  premises,  will  do  so  at  their  peril,  and 
that  they  can  in  no  wise  obtain  any  protection  from  the  government 
of  the  United  States  against  the  consequences  of  their  misconduct. 

In  witness  whereof  I  have  hereunto  set  my  hand  and  caused  the 
seal  of  the  United  States  to  be  affixed. 

Done  at  the  city  of  Washington,  this  nth  day  of  February,  in  the 
year  of  our  Lord,  one  thousand  nine  hundred  and  four,  and  of  the 
independence  of  the  United  States  the  one  hundred  and  twenty-eighth. 

Theodore  Roosevelt. 
By  the  President : 

John  Hay,  Secretary  of  State. 


MR.  WHEAT— "This  war  ain't  so  bad  for  some  of  us." 


CHAPTER  VIII. 
STORY  OF  JAPAN  AND  HER  EMPEROR. 

Early  Contact  with  the  World — Martyrdom  for  Missionaries — Terrible  Slaughter  of 
Christians — First  American  Visitors — Rough  Sea-Dog's  Diplomatic  Victory — 
Emperor  Asserts  Himself. 

CONTRASTING  strangely  with  the  ponderous  and  painful 
struggle  of  Russia  to  attain  its  present  development,  Japan 
nestles  in  its  island  kingdom,  a  veritable  national  mushroom. 
Like  that  fungus  growth,  it  matured  in  a  day.  But,  like  Russia, 
it  has  a  dark  and  bloody  past.  How  it  threw  that  past  aside  and 
stepped  forth  in  an  hour,  almost,  from  the  darkness  of  ages  of  heathen 
seclusion,  a  modern  world  power,  is  a  marvel  to  the  nations. 

JAPAN   FIFTY  YEARS  AGO. 

Fifty  years  ago  a  leading  historian  frankly  wrote  of  Japan : 
"We  are  very  little  acquainted  with  the  geographical  divisions  of 
Japan,  and,  with  one  or  two  exceptions    we  know  little  more  of  its 
cities  than  their  names."  , 

This  was  literally  true,  and  was  due  to  the  strict  exclusion  main- 
tained against  foreigners  due  to  religious  prejudice  and  fear  of  national 
annihilation.  At  that  time  and  long  before,  the  history  of  the  islands 
was  an  open  book  to  the  world. 

EARLY  CONTACT  WITH  THE  WORLD. 

In  1 542  several  Portuguese  were  wrecked  in  Japan  and  were  favor- 
ably received.  Seven  years  later  Xavier  landed  with  two  companions 
and  a  shipwrecked  Jap  he  had  converted.    He  was  permitted  to  preach 

the  gospel,  and  gained  many  converts.     In  1559,  seven  years  after  his 

124 


STORY  OF  JAPAN  AND  HER  EMPEROR.  125 

death,  another  Jesuit  converted  many  nobles,  and  Christian  churches 
and  proselytes  became  very  numerous.  In  1583  three  young  Japs 
were  sent  to  do  homage  to  the  Pope,  and  were  royally  entertained 
at  the  court  of  Philip  II. 

MARTYRDOM  FOR  MISSIONARIES. 

When  Taiko  assumed  the  office  of  Cubo  he  became  suspicious  of 
Europeans,  and  in  1578  razed  every  cross  and  church,  drove  the  mis- 
sionaries into  hiding,  and  executed  a  number  of  Christians.  Perse- 
cution was  revived  several  years  later,  when  a  Spanish  sailor  sought  to 
intimidate  the  Japs  by  telling  them  Spanish  soldiers  followed  in  the 
wake  of  priests.  Twenty-six  priests  were  martyred  in  one  day  as  a 
result.  Still  the  wily  Japs  while  resenting  foreign  intrusion  invited 
trade  because,  of  the  big  profits  to  be  made. 

For  many  years  the  boiling  crater  of  Mount  Unga  was  a  common 
instrument  of  death  for  Christians.  The  Spanish  were  absolutely  ex- 
cluded as  a  nation,  while  the  Portuguese  were  allowed  to  trade  under 
marked  restrictions  at  Nagasaki  and  the  Dutch  at  Firando.  Discovery 
of  an  alleged  conspiracy  among  the  native  Christians  and  the  Portu- 
guese resulted  in  a  campaign  of  extermination  by  the  sword.  Thirty- 
eight  thousand  Christians  flew  to  arms  and  fortified  themselves.  An 
army  of  80,000  men  were  sent  against  them,  aided  by  a  detachment 
of  Dutch  with  cannon. 

TERRIBLE    SLAUGHTER    OF    CHRISTIANS. 

No  words  can  adequately  describe  the  awful  slaughter  that  followed. 
Four  citizens  of  Macao,  sent  to  Japan  to  plead  for  the  Catholics,  were 
put  to  death,  and  their  ship  burned.     On  their  tomb  was  inscribed : 

"So  long  as  the  sun  shall  warm  the  earth,  let  no  Christian  be  so  bold 
as  to  come  to  Japan;  and  let  all  know  that  the  King  of  Spain  himself, 
or  the  Christian's  God,  or  the  great  Saca,  if  he  violate  this  command, 
shall  pay  for  it  with  his  head." 

From  that  time  until  the  opening  of  Japan  the  Dutch  enjoyed  exclu- 
sive trading  privileges  and  were  allowed  to  conduct  a  factory  at  Jeddo. 


126  THE  GREAT  WAR  IN  THE  EAST. 

In  1836  an  American  expedition  was  sent  to  Japan  with  a  number 
of  shipwrecked  Japanese  sailors  to  be  restored  to  their  island  home. 
Even  that  evidence  of  good  faith  failed  to  secure  a  hearing,  and  the 
vessel,  the  unarmed  brig  Morrison,  was  fired  upon  by  a  battery  hastily 
assembled  on  shore.  The  expedition  was  compelled  to  return  without* 
restoring  the  Japs  to  their  country,  much  less  attempting  to  open  com- 
mercial relations  with  the  warlike  Japs. 

COMMERCIAL  AWAKENING  BY  PERRY. 

Fifty-two  years  ago,  in  1852,  the  United  States  government  suc- 
ceeded in  that  purpose  through  an  expedition  of  seven  ships  under 
Commodore  Perry.  From  that  moment  dates  the  commercial  awaken- 
ing of  Japan  and  its  wonderful  progress  of  evolution.  What  a  marvel- 
ous transformation  has  been  worked  in  that  half  century,  bringing 
Japan  from  its  position  among  the  isolated  and  decadent  heathen 
nations  to  front  rank  among  the  world  powers. 

ROUGH   SEA-DOG'S  DIPLOMATIC  VICTORY. 

And  for  all  this  America  is  given  full  credit,  by  the  Japs  and  by 
all  the  world.  To  a  rough  sea-dog,  a  plain  American  naval  officer  of 
rugged,  straight-forward  honesty,  fell  the  plum  that  European  diplo- 
mats struggled  vainly  for  through  decades. 

THE    EMPEROR    OF    JAPAN. 

Mutsuhito,  the  Emperor  of  Japan,  is  52  years  of  age,  and  has  occu- 
pied the  throne  since  his  fifteenth  year.  He  is  of  a  dynasty  described 
in  the  Japanese  Constitution  as  "a  line  of  Emperors  unbroken  for  ages 
eternal,"  and  does  not  hesitate  to  reckon  his  ancestry  back  beyond  the 
days  of  early  Rome.     Such  is  the  Japanese  tradition. 

The  Emperor  is  not  the  Mikado  of  Japan.  That  term  has  long 
been  obsolete  in  the  Flowery  Kingdom.  In  fact,  the  very  revolution 
that  abolished  the  old  religious  title  also  gave  Japan  the  opportunity  for 
progress  and  development  she  so  eagerly  grasped. 

Mutsuhito  was  the  second  son  of  Emperor  Komel,  and  at  8  years 
of  age  was  chosen  the  heir  apparent  to  the  throne,  not  because  his 


STORY  OF  JAPAN  AND  HER  EMPEROR.  127 

father  wished  it  to  be  so,  but  because  the  Shoguns,  who  in  the  reigns 
of  weak  Mikados  had  relegated  the  Emperor  to  the  empty  honor  of 
being  the  sacerdotal  head  of  the  national  religion,  and  these  Shoguns, 
powerful  as  were  the  Masters  of  the  Palace  in  old  Prankish  days,  in 
this  instance  believed  that  the  excellent  disposition  of  the  young  Mutsu- 
hito  naturally  fitted  him  for  the  life  of  a  religions  reclnse.  This  an- 
ticipation they  never  realized,  for  rebellion  followed  their  long  misrule. 

In  1867  Emperor  Komel  died  and  the  present  ruler  ascended  the 
throne.  He  threw  himself  earnestly  into  the  reform  movement,  and, 
aided  by  loyal  subjects,  not  only  established  himself  firmly  upon  his 
throne  as  the  real  ruler  of  Japan,  but  broke  the  power  of  the  old  no- 
bility. 

This  was  the  first  step  toward  the  modernizing  of  Japan.  Every- 
thing that  has  followed  has  been  the  direct  result  of  it.  During  the 
reign  of  one  man  still  living  and  only  52  years  of  age,  this  people  has 
risen  from  barbarism  to  a  place  among  the  great  powers  of  the  world, 
and  this  is  due  to  the  fact  that  their  Emperor  is  not  the  Mikado  his 
forefathers  had  been,  for  Mutsuhito  was  not  content  to  be  a  religious 
figurehead.  He  appreciated  the  needs  of  his  country  and  keen  intel- 
ligence the  old  nobility  would  gladly  have  had  him  devote  to  pious 
meditations  taught  him  the  value  of  the  loyal  men  who  had  aided  him 
to  regain  his  lost  prerogatives.  Aided  by  them  he  set  to  work  to 
liberalize  his  government. 

EMPEROR   ASSERTS   HIMSELF. 

This  was  no  easy  task,  for  wholesale  liberty  suddenly  granted  to  a 
people  accustomed  to  despotism  only  leads  to  reactions  worse  than 
the  evils  it  is  intended  to  supplant.  Instead  of  this  the  old  despot- 
ism faded  away  gradually.  Privilege  after  privilege  was  granted  as 
the  enlightenment  of  the  people  fitted  them  for  it,  until  at  last  in  1889 
a  constitution  was  promulgated,  which  gives  the  Japanese  as  great  a 
degree  of  personal  liberty  and  as  great  a  share  in  the  national  govern- 
ment as  the  subjects  are  allowed  in  almost  any  European  constitu- 
tional monarchy. 


128  THE  GREAT  WAR  IN  THE  EAST. 

The  revolution  that  made  possible  the  present  monarch's  reforms 
is  easily  traceable  to  a  quickening  of  the  Japanese  mind  following  con- 
tact with  Americans  and  Europeans.  It  was  a  revolution  of  thought, 
system  and  principles,  as  well  as  a  political  upheaval.  This  is  evident 
by  a  review  of  the  Jap  and  his  early  history. 

The  Emperor  was  married  two  years  after  his  coronation  to  one  of 
the  princesses  of  his  race.  She  is  an  excellent  woman,  of  whose  ac- 
complishments, charity  and  benevolence  the  Japanese  boast.  This 
Empress,  Haruko,  is  also  a  poet,  whose  verses  Japanese  students 
declare  have  a  delicate  charm  that  is  beautiful.  Translated  into  Eng- 
lish, they  prove  her  to  be  a  woman  of  gentle,  lovely  spirit. 

The  Emperor  of  Japan  is  personally  just  what  the  Shoguns  of  the 
old  days  took  him  to  be — a  mild-mannered,  gentle-spirited  man  of 
lofty  ideals,  well  suited  for  a  religious  life.  He  is  beloved  by  his  peo- 
ple quite  as  much  because  of  this  as  because  he  gave  them  liberty  and 
civilization ;  quite  as  much  because  of  the  schools  and  colleges  his 
progressive  government  has  established  as  the  battleships  and  for- 
tresses that  protect  their  land  from  invasion,  and  there  can  be  no  doubt 
of  the  loyalty  of  the  Japanese  to  their  first  great  Emperor. 

The  Emperor  of  Japan  has  one  great  consolation  that  has  as  yet 
been  denied  his  present  enemy,  the  Czar  of  Russia;  he  has  a  son, 
now  grown  to  manhood  and  himself  a  father.  Of  this  sor  much  that 
is  commendable  has  been  said.  He  has  been  educated  both  at  home 
and  abroad,  and  Emperor  Mutsuhito  feels  that  when  his  life's  work  is 
done  a  worthy  successor  will  perpetuate  the  "line  of  Emperors  un- 
broken for  ages  eternal." 


CHAPTER  IX. 
STORY  OF  JAPAN  AND  HER  PEOPLE. 

Revelled  in  Sickening  Cruelty — Lost  Like  Spanish  Armada — Gigantic  Japanese 
Wrestlers — The  Land  of  Upside-Down— Early  Bloody  War  in  Korea — The 
Soldier  an  Aristocrat. 

PRIMARILY  the  Jap  is  a  transplanted  Chinaman,  who  has  ex- 
perienced a  transition  similar  to  that  of  our  people,  who  trace 
their  ancestry  to  England.     The  primitive  history  of  the  Jap- 
anese, like  that  of  all  ancient  nations,  is  lost  in  the  nebulous  night  of 
fable.    Japanese  tradition  has  it  that  for  a  period  they  were  ruled  by 
seven  celestial  spirits.   After  that  mortal  chieftains  are  spoken  of. 

AUTHENTIC  JAPANESE  HISTORY. 

The  real  history  of  the  islands  dates  from  660  B.  C,  when,  according 
to  Japanese  and  Chinese  lore  alike,  a  Chinese  chieftain  visited  the 
archipelago  by  way  of  Korea,  followed  by  Chinese  colonies.  Strangely 
enough,  their  quest  was  similar  to  that  of  the  early  Spanish  adventur- 
ers in  America — a  search  for  the  fountain  of  perpetual  youth.  The 
relationship  is  attested  by  the  similarity  in  the  primitive  civilizations  of 
China  and  Japan,  the  religion,  written  language  and  traditions, 
although  the  language  as  spoken  differs.  The  Japanese  name  of  their 
empire,  Akitsoo-no-sima,  Isle  of  the  Dragon  Fly,  is  derived  from  a 
fancied  resemblance  to  that  insect  in  the  shape  of  Nippon. 

REVELED   IN   SICKENING   CRUELTY. 

Early  Japanese  history  is  a  succession  of  tales  of  priestcraft,  war- 

129 


i3o  THE  GREAT  WAR  IN  THE  EAST. 

fare,  intrigue,  conspiracy  and  torture.  In  all  things  your  Jap  is  an 
artist,  and  when  he  tried  his  delicate  hand  at  torture  he  arose  to  the 
occasion  with  ingenious  skill.  One  refined  method  of  increasing  hu- 
man suffering,  described  as  having  been  visited  upon  certain  con- 
spirators, consisted  of  coating  the  body  of  the  victims  with  a  thick 
covering  of  clay  and  suspending  them  over  a  bed  of  live  coals.  This 
by  causing  the  clay  to  dry,  harden  and  crack,  opened  a  thousand  gashes 
and  seams  in  the  living  flesh.  Gashes  cut  in  offenders'  backs  and  used 
as  molds  for  molten  copper  are  mentioned  by  old  authors  as  affording 
an  excellent  medium  for  extorting  confessions.  The  metal,  when 
hardened,  was  drawn  forth  with  the  seared  flesh  adhering  to  it,  while 
the  victim,  if  surviving,  was  prepared  for  other  punishments.  Cruci- 
fixion is  also  named  as  an  ancient  practice,  and  the  swordsmen  were 
reputed  to  possess  such  skill  as  public  executioners  that  they  could 
pierce  a  victim  sixteen  times  without  touching  a  vital  spot. 

japan's  early  naval  prowess. 

Once  before  in  its  history  was  Japan  threatened  with  attack  by  sea. 
It  was  a  little  more  than  six  centuries  ago,  in  the  year  1281,  and  the 
enemy  was  the  famous  conqueror  Kublai  Khan,  who  had  already  over- 
run half  the  world,  and  who  wished  to  add  the  island  kingdom  to  his 
already  gigantic  dominions.  To  accomplish  his  purpose  he  sent  the 
greatest  fleet  that  had  ever  been  assembled — a  veritable  Armada,  com- 
prising no  fewer  than  3,500  vessels. 

When  Kublai  Khan  dispatched  envoys  to  the  Mikado's  capital,  de- 
manding submission  and  the  payment  of  tribute,  he  never  dreamed 
of  a  refusal.  But  the  Japanese  cut  off  the  heads  of  the  envoys,  and, 
when  a  second  embassy  was  sent,  repeated  the  performance.  This, 
though  ambassadors  were  cheap  in  those  days,  angered  the  conqueror, 
and  he  proceeded  to  get  together  a  force  large  enough,  as  he  supposed, 
to  overcome  with  ease  the  proud  and  stubborn  islanders.  History 
records  that  the  invading  fleet  carried  100,000  Chinese  and  Tartars 
and  7,000  Koreans. 

It  was  in  the  seventh  month  of  the  above  mentioned  year  that  the 


STORY  OF  JAPAN  AND  HER  PEOPLE.  131 

Japanese  from  their  watch  towers  on  shore  beheld  the  approach  of 
the  Armada,  whose  multitudinous  sails  whitened  the  waters  of  the 
ocean  as  far  as  the  eye  could  see.  Many  of  the  ships  were  junks  of 
extraordinary  size,  such  as  the  islanders  had  never  heard  of  before,  and 
were  armed  with  weapons  of  warfare  of  il.e  most  modern  and  im- 
proved type,  such  as  huge  bow-guns,  which  threw  formidable  darts  and 
catapults  that  discharged  heavy  stones.  One  of  these  stones,  landing 
upon  a  vessel's  deck,  would  sink  her. 

No  wonder,  then,  that  the  Japs  gazed  with  wonder  and  alarm  upon 
the  hostile  Mongol  fleet.  But,  though  startled,  they  were  not  afraid, 
and  bravely  did  they  set  out  in  their  own  little  vessels  against  the 
foe.  Some  of  the  junks  they  "cut  out"  from  the  fleet  and  captured, 
quickly  chopping  off  the  heads  of  those  on  board.  Meanwhile  the 
fighting  men  on  shore  built  a  long  line  of  earthworks,  and  defended 
them  so  gallantly  against  landing  parties  of  the  enemy  that  they  soon 
secured  upward  of  2,000  heads — decapitation  with  the  two-handed 
sword  being  an  art  in  which  the  "Samurai"  were  remarkably  proficient. 

They  performed  prodigies  of  valor,  both  on  land  and  sea.  Never- 
theless, it  is  altogether  probable  that  they  would  have  been  defeated 
eventually,  and  that  the  Mongols  would  have  gained  at  least  a  tem- 
porary foothold  in  Japan  had  it  not  been  for  an  occurrence  which  is 
believed  to  this  day  to  have  been  a  special  interposition  of  Providence. 
While  the  fighting  was  still  going  on  a  dark  cloud  appeared  in  the  sky, 
and  presently  there  broke  one  of  those  tremendous  cyclonic  storms 
which  in  that  part  of  the  world  are  called  typhoons. 

The  typhoon  swept  down  upon  the  Mongol  fleet  and  simply  smashed 
it.  Many  of  the  junks  were  sunk,  others  were  smashed  against  one 
another,  and  others  yet  were  cast  upon  the  rocky  shore.  The  few 
vessels  that  survived  the  storm  took  refuge  in  the  harbor  of  a  near-by 
island,  where  those  who  manned  them  were  attacked  by  the  Japanese 
and  slaughtered  wholesale,  only  three  being  left  alive,  so  the  story  goes, 
to  carry  back  to  Kublai  Khan  the  news  of  the  fate  that  had  befallen 
his  mighty  expedition  for  the  conquest  of  Japan. 

History  is  said  to  repeat  itself.     Certainly  the  story  of  this  ill-fated 


i32  THE  GREAT  WAR  IN  THE  EAST. 

expedition  is  remarkably  similar  to  that  of  the  Armada  sent  by  Spain 
against  England  in  the  year  1 588.  The  Spanish  Armada  consisted  of- 
130  ships,  and,  as  may  be  remembered,  was  totally  destroyed  by  a 
storm  off  the  British  Isles.  Naturally,  the  Japs  regard  the  incident  as 
testifying  both  to  their  valor  and  to  the  favor  enjoyed  by  them  at 
the  hands  of  the  gods;  and  to  this  very  day  the  Japanese  mother 
encourages  her  frightened  infant  by  assuring  the  child  that  the  Mon- 
gols are  not  coming. 

GIGANTIC  JAPANESE  WRESTLERS. 

By  no  means  are  all  of  the  Japanese  small  people,  and  among  them 
there  is  a  caste  distinguished  by  gigantic  stature — namely,  the  wres- 
tlers, who  afford  a  very  remarkable  illustration  of  what  may  be  accom- 
plished by  artificial  selection  in  the  breeding  of  human  beings  for 
certain  physical  attributes.  The  wrestlers  intermarry  only  among 
themselves,  and,  the  process  having  been  carried  on  for  several  hundred 
years,  both  men  and  women  of  the  caste  are  giants.  Oddly  enough, 
the  men  who  make  a  living  in  this  profession  eat  and  drink  enormously, 
and  are  usually  very  fat. 

THE  LAND  OF  UPSIDE-DOWN. 

American  ideas  of  "training"  do  not  seem  to  be  accepted  in  Japan, 
where  most  things  are  done  in  what  would  be  regarded  as  topsy-turvy 
fashion.  A  Japanese  book  begins  at  the  end,  and  has  footnotes  at 
the  top  of  the  pages.  The  color  of  mourning  is  white,  and  the  women 
carry  their  babies  on  their  backs.  In  the  construction  of  a  house  the 
roof  is  built  first,  and  the  best  rooms  are  in  the  rear.  People  bathe 
openly  in  front  of  their  houses  without  a  stitch  of  clothes  on,  women 
as  well  as  men,  and  it  is  the  Jap  custom  to  dry  oneself  with  a  damp 
towel. 

ARTISTIC  AND  IMITATIVE. 

The  Japanese  represent  the  highest  development  of  what  may  be 
called  the  "hand  epoch"  in  the  progress  of  culture.  With  devices  no 
better  than  those  of  savages  they  are  able  to  evolve  products  in  all 
lines  of  industry  which  rival  or  surpass  the  best  work  of  machinery. 


STORY  OF  JAPAN  AND   HER   PEOPLE.  133 

Nevertheless,  possessing  to  an  extraordinary  degree  the  faculty  of 
imitation,  they  are  rapidly  becoming  users  of  machinery,  and  at  the 
present  time  they  are  becoming  great  manufacturers  of  first-class 
watches  and  clocks. 

It  is  an  instinct  with  the  Japs  to  imitate  everything  they  see  that 
seems  worth  reproducing.  A  missionary  a  few  years  ago  imported  a 
baby  carriage,  and  lo!  the  "jinricksha" — an  enlargement  of  the  idea, 
adapted  for  pulling  by  a  man — came  into  being.  There  are  now 
38,000  jinrickshas  in  Tokyo  alone.  The  name  signifies  "man-power 
vehicle" — or  as  a  witty  American  suggested,  it  might  be  translated 
"pullman-car."  It  is  the  first  step  away  from  the  carrying-litter  into 
the  epoch  of  the  wheel. 

The  dancers  of  Japan  illustrated  the  graceful  postures  of  Delsarte 
centuries  before  they  were  ever  thought  of  on  this  side  of  the  world. 
Another  art  for  which  these  Asiatics  are  remarkable  is  tattooing,  at 
which  they  are  extremely  expert,  executing  artistic  and  elaborate  pat- 
terns with  steel  needles  in  sepia  and  vermilion.  They  even  apply  co- 
caine to  prevent  pain. 

EARLY  BLOODY  WAR  IN  KOREA. 

Reverting  to  the  subject  of  war,  not  only  do  the  Japanese  generals 
know  every  foot  of  the  ground  in  Korea,  not  only  have  the  chief  offi- 
cers taken  part  in  battles  on  that  ground,  but  Korea  is  always  a  source 
of  sentimental  inspiration  to  a  Japanese  fighting  man.  Three  hundred 
years  ago  Japan  conquered  Korea.  After  one  battle  it  is  said  that 
214,752  human  bodies  were  beheaded  to  furnish  a  foundation  for  the 
famous  "ear  tomb"  mound  in  Kioto.  In  that  war  something  like 
50,000  Japanese  soldiers  were  buried  in  the  peninsula.  A  Japanese 
officer  in  Korea  never  forgets  the  deeds  of  Kato  and  Konishi,  the  two; 
heroes  of  that  awful  conflict. 

THE  SOLDIER  AN  ARISTOCRAT. 

There  is  something  curiously  suggestive  in  the  larger  aspects  of 
the  situation  in  the  far  East.  It  is  only  a  few  decades  since  Commo- 
dore Perry,  with  a  squadron  of  American  ships,  forced  Japan  to  open 


i34  THE  GREAT  WAR  IN  THE  EAST. 

her  ports  to  the  Western  civilization  which  has  made  her  to-day  one 
of  the  recognized  military  powers  of  the  world.  Before  that  she  was 
a  nation  of  two-handed  swords,  shields,  suits  of  armor  and  spears. 
To-day  her  army  and  navy  are  as  modern  and  scientific  as  those  of  the 
United  States  or  Germany.  She  has  grown  in  industry  as  well  as  in 
military  strength.  But  she  is  crowded.  There  are  50,000,000  inhabit- 
ants on  her  147,669  square  miles  of  territory.  The  soldier  is  the  social 
aristocrat,  not  only  because  of  the  traditions  of  the  righting  samurai, 
the  two-sworded  warriors  who  lorded  it  over  the  rest  of  the  people 
and  were  honored  simply  because  they  were  fighters,  but  because  it  is 
recognized  that  it  is  he  who  is  to  give  Japan  opportunity  to  grow  as 
fast  as  its  people.  The  soldier  in  Japan  represents  to  his  nation  the 
fulfilment  of  plans  of  vast  territorial  conquest  in  Asia  which  are  always 
present  in  the  Japanese  mind. 

If  these  strange,  progressive  people  shall  continue  to  increase  in  num- 
ber, power,  productiveness  and  ambition,  what  does  it  mean  to  the 
future  of  Europe  and  America?  Does  it  mean  a  new  standard  of 
ethics,  morals  and  economics  enforced  by  this  hitherto  unfelt  competi- 
tion?    Who  can  foresee! 

NAGASAKI,  THE  GREAT  COALING  STATION. 

An  example  of  economic  and  industrial  conditions  is  found  at  the 
great  Japanese  coaling  station,  Nagasaki,  in  the  heart  of  Japan's  col- 
liery district. 

All  the  mail  steamers  of  the  East,  save  the  French  Messageries  Mari- 
times,  coal  at  Nagasaki  on  outward  and  inward  trips;  all  the  naval 
ships  fill  their  bunkers  here;  and  once  each  month  the  American  trans- 
ports, home-bound  from  Manila,  stop  to  take  on  coal.  The  mines 
belong  to  the  Mitsui  family  of  bankers,  who  in  addition  to  this  great 
revenue  producing  property  own  dry  docks,  slips,  iron  works,  repair 
shops  and  shipyards  in  Nagasaki  harbor. 

The  coaling  at  Nagasaki  is  a  proceeding  that  never  loses  interest 
for  one.  The  coal  lighters  are  waiting  by  the  buoy  when  a  mail 
steamer  arrives,  and  in  a  trice  the  nimble  Joeh  have  built  broad,  ladder 


STORY  OF  JAPAN  AND  HER  PEOPLE.      135 

like  arrangements  of  planks  up  each  side  of  the  ship,  on  which  they 
stand  in  line  and  pass  automatically  the  shallow  baskets  of  coal. 

A  stream  of  little  baskets  runs  up  the  side  of  the  ship  from  the  coolies, 
who  are  shoveling  the  baskets  full  in  the  lighters,  to  the  last  men  who 
stand  on  the  ship's  deck  and  empty  the  shallow  osier  pans  over  the 
bunkers'  mouths.  All  chat  as  they  work,  men,  women  and  boys,  and 
those  who  gather  up  the  empty  baskets  and  hurl  them  down  in  bunches 
have  a  shrill  cry  of  their  own. 

The  coal  passers  are  paid  by  the  ton,  averaging  about  sixty  sen 
(thirty  cents)  a  day,  women  and  children  half  price,  and  by  many 
holidays  and  rewards  their  zeal  and  interest  are  so  maintained  that 
they  are  always  beating  the  record. 

It  is  a  matter  of  record  that  1,210  tons  have  been  put  aboard  ship 
in  three  and  a  half  hours.  This  rate  of  372  tons  an  hour  was  the 
marvel  of  the  initiated  until  this  spring,  when  420  tons  an  hour  went  to 
the  credit  of  the  cheerful,  joyful  little  Nagasaki  coal  passers.  At  this 
last  record  breaking  performance  2,100  tons  were  put  aboard  in  five 
and  a  half  hours,  during  which  time  each  gang  had  a  half  hour's  rest 
for  their  midday  meal. 

Coal  is  not  put  aboard  as  quickly  in  San  Francisco,  Tacoma,  Seattle 
or  Vancouver,  with  all  the  aid  of  overhead  machinery  and  elevated 
tracks  for  coal  cars,  dumping  directly  to  the  ship's  docks. 

COST  OF  LIVING  FOR  LABORER. 

With  this  sixty  and  seventy  sen  a  day,  as  the  piece  work  by  the  ton 
averages  when  divided  among  thejnembers  of  one  gang,  the  coal  passer 
can  live  in  this  cheapest  port  of  Japan,  but  not  too  luxuriously.  Aver- 
aging fifteen  yen  ($7.50)  a  month,  the  laborer  can  afford  a  one  or  two- 
room  house,  with  an  inclosed  cooking  place  at  the  back,  for  which  he 
pays  one  or  two  yen.  He  can  buy  fifty  pounds  of  common  rice  for  a 
yen  and  a  half  (seventy-five  cents),  Chinese  rice  much  more  cheaply. 
Three  bowls  of  rice  is  a  full  meal,  and  three  meals  a  day  the  height  of 
prosperity.  Chinese  rice  is  dry,  flat,  unpalatable  to  the  Japanese,  who 
prefer  the  more  solid,  glutinous  grain  of  their  own  rice,  and  if  the 


136  THE  GREAT  WAR  IN  THE  EAST. 

coolie  would  buy  in  the  street  he  may  have  a  bowl  of  rice  for  two  ser\ 
or  five  sen,  according  to  quality  and  trimmings. 

Soba,  a  macaroni  made  of  buckwheat  flour,  is  popular  with  the  coolie 
classes  and  cheaper — I1/*  sen  for  a  steaming  bowl  of  dough  strings — 
but  the  coolies  say,  "soba  is  not  such  earnest  eating  as  rice."  It  does 
as  a  "piece"  or  a  nibble  between  meals,  a  substitute  for  a  square  meal 
when  the  purse  is  lightest. 

Country  folk  eat  beans,  peas,  millet  and  barley  in  place  of  rice  at 
some  meals,  more  because  they  can  easily  grow  those  cheaper  substi- 
tutes than  for  all  that  is  taught  to  the  children  in  schools  and  preached 
in  lay  lectures  to  the  elders  at  the  temples  concerning  the  nitrogen, 
the  carbon,  the  proteids,  the  heat  and  energy  producing  qualities  of 
those  foodstuffs.  The  city  workman  will  have  none  of  them,  and 
prefers  the  cheapest  Chinese  rice  rather  than  no  rice  at  all.  iWith  his 
rice  he  must  have  pickled  or  salted  relishes  to  give  it  flavor,  and  salted 
plums,  pickled  radishes,  and  cabbage,  and  every  kind  of  dried  and 
salted  fish  season  the  daily  bowls.  Meat  he  seldom  eats,  but  fish  always 
in  some  form,  as  many  times  a  day  as  he  can  get  it.  Tea  cheers  him 
all  day  long,  before,  after,  with  and  between  meals,  and  for  greater 
cheer  there  is  the  saki,  or  rice  brandy,  badly  imitated  by  cheap  dilutions 
of  foreign  alcohol. 

The  wife  and  children  work  and  earn  something  as  well,  and  as  long 
as  people  and  goods  go  up  and  down  the  sea  in  ships  propelled  by  steam 
the  coal  coolies  of  Nagasaki  may  live,  and  live  well,  as  their  class  views 
living.  They  have  their  little  luxuries,  their  pleasures,  and  amuse- 
ments ,  their  temple  days  and  festivals,  and  are  probably  the  happiest 
and  most  contented  poor  that  one  may  find  in  the  world. 


CHAPTER  X. 
RUSSIA,  THE  LAND  OF  THE  GREAT  WHITE  BEAR. 

Not  a  Young  Giant — Why  "Russia"? — Christianity  Introduced  Through  Royal  Mar- 
riage— The  Ancient  Russian  Republic — Intrigue  and  Perpetual  Warfare — 
Tartar  Rule  Broken — Ivan  the  Terrible. 

NO  land  and  no  people  are  more  generally  misunderstood  than 
Russia  and  the  Russians.    Occupying  a  section  of  the  globe 
remotely  removed  from  popular  intercourse  with  America  and 
its  populace,  and  with  few  true  rq)resentatives  transplanted  to  this 
country,  it  is  not  strange  that  the  American  conception  of  the  Russian 
should  be  dim  and  uncertain. 

In  all  discussions  of  disturbances  in  the  far  East  one  is  prone  to 
forget  that  the  popular  literature  treating  of  Russia  is  largely  of  Eng- 
lish authorship,  or  at  least  emanates  from  western  Europe,  which 
throughout  all  time  has  regarded  Russia  as  a  menacing  cloud.  That 
is  equally  true  of  American  press  dispatches,  which  filtering  through 
unfriendly  sources  naturally  take  on  a  tinge  of  that  spirit.  Siberia, 
with  its  dreary  snow-clad  plains,  is  at  once  pictured  at  mere  mention 
of  Russia.  Our  ears  tingle  with  the  suggestion  of  clanking  chains, 
the  cry  of  the  victim  of  the  knout  and  the  frenzied  shriek  of  Kishenev's 
hapless  martyrs.  These  things  have  been  drilled  into  mind  and  mem- 
ory, oh,  so  well !  but  we  are  inclined  to  be  blind  and  deaf  to  Russia, 
the  patient  giant,  growing  in  greatness  and  civilization,  in  spite  of 
monumental  obstacles  in  the  form  of  ignorance,  bigotry,  prejudices, 
hatred  and  bitterness  and  the  most  incongruous  population  that  na- 
tional development  ever  threw  together  in  the  evolution  of  an  empire. 


I7S  THE  GREAT  WAR  IN  THE  EAST. 


o 


Russia  is  not  a  youngster  in  swaddling  clothes  clamoring  at  the  door 
of  civilization  for  recognition.  Her  civilization  is  hoary  with  an- 
tiquity. Her  religious  political  system  may  seem  strange,  indeed, 
to  him  who  views  them  at  long  distance,  yet  Russia  has  proven  a 
mighty  civilizing  power,  a  mammoth  crucible  into  which  all  manner  of 
barbaric  races  have  been  gathered  to  emerge  at  least  crudely  chastened. 

EARLY  DAYS  OF  RUSSIAN   HISTORY. 

Previous  to  the  ninth  century  A.  D.  the  territory  now  embraced  in 
Russia  was  known  only  as  the  home  of  nomadic  tribes,  similar  to 
those  of  Northern  and  Central  Asia.  It  was  the  restless  Northman, 
Ruric,  who  sowed  the  seeds  of  empire.  Cruising  with  his  Varangians, 
about  the  year  862  he  sailed  through  the  Gulf  of  Finland,  and,  proceed- 
ing onward  by  lakes  and  rivers,  discovered  the  native  city  of  Novgorod. 

In  this  nondescript  collection  of  wooden  huts  Ruric  established  him- 
self as  the  first  grand  duke,  founded  a  state,  gave  it  Scandinavian 
laws,  divided  the  territory  among  his  soldiers  and  countrymen  that 
flocked  to  him,  and  named  it  Russia. 

WHY   "RUSSIA"? 

So  far  as  is  known,  the  name  was  derived  from  a  warlike  tribe  of 
Sarmatia,  called  Ros  by  the  prophet  Ezeckiel,  who  made  their  name  a 
terror  on  the  Roman  frontiers.  One  of  Ruric's  chieftains  took  pos- 
session of  Kiev.  Thither  Ruric's  son,  Igor,  removed  his  capital,  and 
the  Normans  soon  had  fleets  upon  the  Black  Sea  and  a  mighty  duke- 
dom, constantly  enlarged  by  new  conquests  made  by  feudal  chiefs  en- 
joying the  title  of  dukes. 

CHRISTIANITY  INTRODUCED  THROUGH   ROYAL  MARRIAGE. 

Vladimir  the  Great,  in  order  to  consummate  a  marriage  with  the 
Greek  Emperors  sister,  adopted  Christianity.  The  pagan  duke  made 
good  his  promise  to  destroy  the  pagan  places  of  worship  in  the  land, 
and  before  his  death,  in  1015,  noble  and  serf  alike  had  received  the  rite 
of  baptism,  and  Christian  churches  sprang  up  everywhere. 

No  greater  surprise  can  be  encountered  in  history  than  Novgorod 


LAND  OF  THE  GREAT  WHITE  BEAR.  139 

developing  into  a  powerful  commercial  republic  nearly  a  thousand 
years  ago.  Yet  such  was  the  case,  for  early  Russia,  unlike  most  feudal 
countries,  was  not  made  up  of  merely  nobles,  serfs  and  military  vassals. 
Free  merchants  displayed  their  wares  in  its  cities,  and  a  free  and  inde- 
pendent peasantry  tilled  the  soil.  A  mayor  and  city  councillors,  elected 
annually,  governed  Novgorod.  Its  duke  at  the  head  of  the  state  had 
no  power  to  declare  war,  make  peace  or  levy  new  taxes  without  the 
consent  of  the  people.     The  public  school  found  a  foothold  there. 

TARTAR   INVASION. 

Greeks,  Poles  and  Hungarians  made  war  upon  Russia,  and  finally,  in 
1223,  a  mighty  host  of  Mongol  Tartars  swept  over  and  devastated  the 
land.  Kiev,  then  outstripping  Paris  and  London,  fell,  and  its  glory, 
closely  akin  to  that  of  Greece  departed.  For  200  years  Russia  lapsed 
into  a  barbarism  scarcely  distinguishable  from  that  of  its  conquerors, 
whose  Khan  fixed  his  residence  at  Serai,  on  the  Volga,  the  headquar- 
ters of  the  Golden  Horde.  While  not  resisting  the  sword  of  the  Tar- 
tar, the  Russians  were  compelled  to  defend  themselves  from  the  Swedes, 
Danes  and  Teutonic  Knights. 

NOVGOROD  AGAIN  RISES. 

Novgorod  alone  withstood  the  Tartars,  although  paying  tribute  to 
them.  Her  duke,  Alexander  Nevski,  repulsed  the  Swedish,  Danish  and 
Teutonic  invaders,  and  was  established  by  the  Khan  as  Grand  Duke  of 
Russia  as  a  means  of  punishing  certain  rebellious  dukes.  He  it  was 
who  began  the  work  of  reconstructing  Russia  on  the  ashes  of  her 
former  greatness.  He  died  in  1261,  after  attaining  great  results,  was 
canonized,  and  is  still  revered  as  a  saint. 

INTRIGUE  AND  PERPETUAL  WARFARE. 

Then  followed  a  period  of  strife,  intrigue  and  endless  warfare  among 
the  petty  princes  of  the  empire,  each  aspiring  to  succeed  the  grand 
duke.  The  capital  was  removed  to  Moscow,  whence  comes  the  term 
Muscovites.  Poles  and  Lithuanians  made  war  on  the  unhappy  land. 
To  escape  the  manifold  troubles  that  beset  them  many  Russians  de- 


i4o  THE  GREAT  WAR  IN  THE  EAST. 

parted  to  the  unsettled  regions  to  the  east,  where  they  intermingled 
with  Asiatic  tribes  known  as  Cossacks,  and  finally  took  their  name. 
They  organized  themselves  into  military  republics,  which  finally  were 
absorbed  by  Russia. 

TARTAR   RULE   BROKEN. 

In  1472  the  Tartar  rule  was  broken  by  Ivan,  who,  through  marriage 
with  a  Greek  princess,  introduced  the  arts  of  Greece  and  Italy  into 
Russia  once  more.  His  grandson,  of  the  same  name,  who  came  to 
the  throne  in  1533,  assumed  the  title  of  Czar.  He  opened  up  trade 
with  the  English,  who  were  accorded  great  privileges,  and  was  one  of 
the  suitors  for  the  hand  of  Queen  Elizabeth  of  England.  He  opened 
up  trade  with  Persia  and  the  Orient,  and  conducted  the  conquest  of 
Siberia. 

IVAN  THE  TERRIBLE. 

This  great  constructive  genius  was  Ivan  the  Terrible — so  named 
because  of  the  frightful  cruelties  he  practiced.  An  example  is  found 
in  the  fate  that  befell  Novgorod.  Discovering  that  its  people  were 
plotting  surrender  to  the  Poles,  he  caused  60,000  of  them  to  be  de- 
stroyed before  his  fury  abated.  Poles  and  Tartars  soon  after  burnt 
Moscow  and  most  of  its  inhabitants.  Ivan  took  refuge  in  a  fortified 
monastery,  where  reflection  upon  his  past  drove  him  mad.  In  a  fit  of 
uncontrollable  anger  he  killed  his  own  son.  This  violent  ruler  died 
soon  after. 

Meanwhile  bondage  amounting  to  slavery  sprang  up  in  Russia  at  a 
time  it  was  disappearing  from  the  rest  of  Europe.  The  peasants  were 
bound  by  law  to  the  soil  on  which  they  were  born.  Soon  the  last  of 
the  race  of  Ruric  passed  from  the  throne,  and  for  seven  years  war 
and  pillage,  due  to  pretenders  to  the  throne,  wrought  havoc  in  an  em- 
pire without  a  ruler,  while  the  Poles  and  Swedes  harassed  the  dis- 
tracted people  and  took  Moscow  and  Novgorod. 


CHAPTER  XL 
BIRTH  AND  PROGRESS  OF  MODERN  RUSSIA. 

Peter  the  Great — Death  of  a  Romanoff  at  Conspirators'  Hands — Elements  Prove 
Deadly  Enemy — Russia's  Greatest  Humiliation — Siege  of  Sebastopol — Pity 
the  Czar. 

A    PATRIOTIC  movement  resulted  in  retaking  Moscow  and  es- 
tablishing Michael  Romanoff  on  the  throne  of  Russia  in  1611. 
With  the  appearance  of  this  family  Russia  ceased  to  be  re- 
garded as  an  Asiatic  and  semi-barbarous  nation. 

PETER  THE  GREAT, 

Peace  was  purchased  by  the  young  Czar.  Two  lineal  descendants 
occupied  the  throne  in  comparative  quiet  until  Peter  the  Great  made 
his  appearance  in  1682  and  awakened  the  sleeping  giant.  He  built  a 
navy,  equipped  an  army  and  encouraged  the  arts  and  sciences.  Vol- 
umes could  be  written  of  this  wonderful  man,  who,  during  a  reign  of 
forty-three  years,  revolutionized  Russian  social,  intellectual  and  indus- 
trial customs,  founded  an  educational  system,  altered  the  Russian 
calendar  to  conform  with  that  of  the  rest  of  Europe,  abolished  the 
national  costume,  emancipated  the  women  from  what  was  almost 
Oriental  slavery,  built  roads,  established  postoffices,  connected  the 
great  rivers  by  canals  and  expanded  his  empire  in  every  possible 
way.  No  modern  ruler  has  achieved  so  much  in  so  brief  a  period  as 
this  strange  compound  of  vices  and  virtues— this  constructive  genius, 
warrior  and  legislator,  yet  weak  drunkard,  gross  sensualist,  unfaithful 

husband  and  cruel,  vengeful  ruler. 

141 


142  THE  GREAT  WAR  IN  THE  EAST. 

Peter  the  Great  died  in  1724,  and  was  succeeded  by  Catharine  I,  and 
a  line  of  monarchs  whose  reign  was  disturbed  by  intrigue,  conspiracy 
and  murder.  Forty-two  years  later  Catharine  II  came  to  the  throne 
and  brought  renewed  development  and  expansion  to  Russia.  Nobles 
were  deprived  of  the  power  to  put  serfs  to  death. 

Her  son,  who  succeeded  Catharine  II  in  1796,  shared  the  fate  of 
her  husband,  and  met  death  at  the  hands  of  conspirators  in  1801.  The 
liberation  of  Kosciusko  and  the  rest  of  the  Polish  patriots  was  the 
principal  feature  of  his  brief  reign. 

With  the  coronation  of  Alexander,  a  mild,  beneficent  and  talented 
sovereign,  came  the  promulgation  of  laws  forbidding  the  sale  of  serfs 
unless  the  land  on  which  they  were  settled  was  sold,  securing  to  every 
man  the  fruits  of  his  own  labor,  and  according  to  every  free  man  per- 
mission to  purchase  land.  Common  schools  were  established  for  the 
masses.  This  was  little  more  than  one  hundred  years  ago.  Russia 
was  slowly,  yet  surely,  awakening  from  its  painful  sleep  of  cen- 
turies ! 

In  the  schools  the  catechism  was  taught— the  catechism  in  which  the 
Czar  as  head  of  the  Greek  church  is  presented  as  God's  vice-regent  on 
earth. 

Upon  the  Emperor  Alexander  fell  the  weight  of  Napoleon's  displeas- 
ure. The  latter's  march  upon  Moscow  is  too  familiar  a  story  to  re- 
quire repetition  here.  It  was  in  the  winter  of  1812,  when  Napoleon's 
legions  turned  back  from  their  prize,  burned  before  their  very  eyes, 
that  the  quaint  truthful  epigram  was  coined — "The  winter  months 
are  Russia's  greatest  generals." 

ELEMENTS  PROVE  DEADLY  ENEMY. 

Napoleon  learned  its  bitter  truth  only  too  well.  His  battle  scarred 
veterans  who  had  snatched  victory  at  the  cannon's  mouth  for  their 
leader  in  many  campaigns  found  a  new  and  deadlier  enemy  in  the 
freezing  winds  and  blinding  snow  of  the  Russian  plains.  The  history 
of  the  retreat  from  Moscow  is  a  harrowing  tale  of  dreadful  calamities 
and  suffering — of  dreary  stretches  strewn  with  bleaching  bones.     In 


BIRTH  AND  PROGRESS  OF  MODERN  RUSSIA.  143 

the  hours  that  the  ancient  capital  burned  the  work  of  centuries  was 
wiped  out.  With  it  went  the  French  army  of  nearly  half  a  million 
men,  doomed  to  burial  in  trackless  beds  of  snow,  save  for  the  miser- 
able remnant  that  followed  Napoleon  back  to  France. 

It  was  a  master  stroke  of  military  daring-  that  stamped  a  lesson  upon 
the  minds  of  military  men  such  as  the  civilized  world  will  never  for- 
get. After  Waterloo  Poland  was  annexed  to  Russia  under  a  separate 
government.  The  remaining  ten  years  of  his  life  the  Czar  devoted 
to  laudable  efforts  in  the  interest  of  his  people.  Yet  it  was  beyond 
the  power  of  any  one  man  to  remedy  the  evils  nursed  by  ages  of  vio- 
lence and  despotism,  and  Alexander  died  miserable  in  the  knowledge 
that  a  conspiracy  was  on  foot  to  divide  the  great  empire  into  a  num- 
ber of  independent  states.  And  who  shall  say  that  in  his  bitterness 
Alexander  fared  otherwise  than  to  share  the  heritage  of  all  who  have 
ruled  supreme  as  envied  monarchs  of  the  land  of  the  great  white  bear? 

Siberia's  horrors  unfold. 

Nicholas,  his  brother,  succeeded  to  the  throne  in  1825.  His  decision 
and  moderation  triumphed  over  evil  counsel,  but  not  without  blood- 
shed. His  brother,  Constantine,  made  viceroy  of  Poland,  developed 
an  insurrection  through  his  violence,  and  from  1830  to  1831  frightful 
bloodshed  and  devastation  characterized  its  suppression.  Then  the 
horrors  of  Siberia  were  unfolded,  and  thousands  of  helpless  Poles  were 
deported  to  its  dreaded  solitudes.  Russia,  with  characteristic  stern- 
ness, put  down  the  spirit  of  insurrection  with  a  view  to  annihilating  it 
for  all  time  to  come.  Wars  with  Persia,  Turkey  and  Khiva  followed 
during  this  reign. 

Interference  in  the  struggle  between  Austria  and  Hungary  in  1848-9 
precipitated  Russia  in  war  again. 

Russia's  greatest  humiliation. 

Scarcely  was  this  ended  when  Nicholas  became  involved  with  Tur- 
key, roused  the  jealousy  of  France  and  England,  and  brought  on  Rus- 
sia's   greatest   humiliation   of   modern   times.     Conflict   between    the 


144  THE  GREAT  WAR  IN  THE  EAST. 

Greek  and  Roman  Catholic  churches  in  relation  to  privileges  in  the 
Holy  Land  played  no  small  part  in  this  stupendous  struggle,  although 
the  personal  ambitions  of  Louis  Napoleon  and  England's  desire  to 
secure  Russia's  trade  in  Central  Asia  were  factors  of  no  small  moment. 
On  July  2,  1853,  Russia  occupied  two  Danubian  provinces;  on  Oct. 
5  the  Sultan  of  Turkey  declared  war,  and  a  series  of  desperate  battles 
followed,  terminating  in  the  Russian  retreat  before  the  allied  armies. 
In  the  following  March  Odessa  was  bombarded  and  its  defenses  de- 
stroyed by  the  British  and  French  fleets,  and  the  world-famous 
Crimean  campaign  followed.  Its  climax  came  in  the  siege  of  Sebasto- 
pol.  Fleets  and  an  invading  army  200,000  strong  conducted  the 
siege,  while  Balaklava  and  Inkermann  became  the  scenes  of  conflicts 
made  famous  in  song  and  story. 

SIEGE  OF  SEBASTOPOL. 

While  the  war  was  at  its  height  Czar  Nicholas  died  at  St.  Peters- 
burg, and  his  son,  Alexander,  became  his  successor.  After  a  siege 
extending  over  nearly  a  year  the  final  and  successful  assault  was  made 
Sept.  5,  1855.     Four  days  later  Sebastopol  fell. 

In  January,  1856,  the  Czar  accepted  the  terms  of  accommodation 
proposed  by  the  allies.  In  February  representatives  of  the  seven  Euro- 
pean powers  opened  a  convention  in  Paris  which  terminated  in  a  treaty 
which  brought  peace  to  Europe,  gave  the  Ottoman  Empire  a  new 
lease  on  life  as  the  buffer  state  and  provided  the  restrictions  which 
resulted  in  permanently  bottling  Russia's  Black  Sea  squadron,  as  was 
demonstrated  at  the  time  when  it  was  most  urgently  needed  to  give 
battle  to  the  Japanese  fleets  in  the  Yellow  Sea  at  the  opening  of  the 
Japanese-Russian  war.  This  ended  what  was  universally  regarded  at 
that  time  as  the  most  stupendous  military  and  naval  action  the  world 
had  ever  witnessed. 

Everywhere  the  story  of  Russian  advancement  and  expansion  is  the 
same.  Warfare — sharp,  bitter  and  decisive — then  a  studied  effort, 
when  victorious,  to  placate  the  vanquished  and  make  of  him  a  friend. 
Russia  has  not  escaped  war  during  the  last  half  century;  it  never  does. 


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BIRTH  AND  PROGRESS  OF  MODERN  RUSSIA.  161 

But  she  had  reached  a  point  where  she  gave  promise  of  reform  in  that 
direction  and  of  attaining  distinction  as  the  disciple  of  peace,  when 
this  gigantic  storm  broke.  The  pacific  front  was  in  no  small  degree  to 
be  attributed  to  the  Czar. 

Czar  Nicholas  II  who  in  the  eyes  of  the  world  is  the  absolute 
monarch  who  holds  the  power  of  life  and  death  over  130,000,000  hu- 
man beings,  is  the  direct  descendant  of  Michael  Romanoff,  who  in  16 13 
was  elected  to  the  vacant  throne  of  Russia,  as  previously  described. 
Despite  the  strange  vicissitudes  that  have  been  the  lot  of  his  progeny, 
Michael  Romanoff  established  a  dynasty  that  still  rules  Russia.  Of 
this  family  Peter  the  Great  stands  forth  pre-eminent  as  the  father 
of  modern  Russia.  It  was  he  who  led  his  people  from  Asiatic  savagery 
to  the  high  degree  of  civilzation  they  have  attained,  and  it  was  he  who 
began  the  conquests  and  absorbing  aggressions  that  have  made  that 
nation  one  of  the  greatest  in  the  world.  It  is  said  by  many  who  have 
delved  deeply  into  Russian  history  that  this  able,  if  half  savage,  mon- 
arch outlined  a  policy  that  the  statesmen  of  his  country  have  been 
pursuing  ever  since,  and  that  it  is  their  constant  consistency  to  the  em- 
pire-building principles  of  Peter  that  has  enabled  the  Muscovites  to 
spread  over  most  of  Northern  Europe  and  Asia,  becoming,  many 
profess  to  fear,  a  menace  to  the  peace  and  independence  of  both. 

There  is  little  of  that  principle  in  the  present  occupant  of  his  throne 
if  the  truth  is  told  concerning  him,  yet  that  policy  is  rigidly  adhered  to 
and  religiously  enforced  by  Russia  to-day,  and  doubtless  will  be  in 
the  days  that  are  to  come  when  the  Czar  shall  have  long  since  passed 
to  his  reward. 

Nicholas  II  is  forty-six  years  of  age — a  young  man,  indeed;  but, 
then,  Russian  rulers  have  not  generally  been  long-lived.  He  has  been 
upon  the  throne  since  the  death  of  his  father  in  1894,  nearly  ten  years, 
and  the  average  length  of  Russian  reigns  has  been  ten  years. 

There  can  be  no  doubt  that  Nicholas  II  is,  as  he  was  when  crowned, 
a  high-minded  prince  with  noble  aspirations.  Like  his  father  and  the 
ruler  before  him  he,  at  least,  has  sought  to  give  his  people  a  greater 


i62  THE  GREAT  WAR  IN  THE  EAST. 

de°ree  of  freedom  than  they  have  ever  enjoyed,  but  it  must  here  be 
stated  that  the  Czar  of  Russia  cannot,  in  all  things,  do  just  as  he 
pleases.  Russia  is  large,  and  its  affairs  are  intricate.  No  one  man 
could  dominate  its  civil  and  military  service.  It  has  its  de- 
partments and  its  bureaus,  and  these  departments  have 
their  heads;  men  of  long  experience  to  whose  counsel  no  ruler 
would  turn  a  deaf  ear.  These  ministers,  each  conceded  the  right  to 
administer  the  affairs  of  his  own  bureau,  have,  it  has  often  been  said, 
formed  a  bureaucracy  that  practically  rules  Russia. 

That  thought  must  have  been  in  the  mind  of  the  American  traveler 
and  journalist,  who  early  in  the  struggle  penned  the  following  strik- 
ing words : 

"pity  the  czar/' 

"Whatever  men  may  think  of  the  war  between  Russia  and  Japan, 
and  however  their  sympathies  may  be  aligned,  no  man  can  help  pitying 
Nicholas  II,  Czar  and  autocrat  of  all  the  Russias.  This  gentle,  amiable 
and  physically  feeble  young  man,  who  abhors  war  to  so  great  a  degree 
that  he  dreamed  not  long  ago  of  abolishing  it  from  the  face  of  the 
earth,  and  who  would  no  more  have  engaged  in  the  strugle  with  Japan 
than  he  would  have  cut  his  own  throat,  if  he  could  have  had  his  way 
about  it,  now  finds  himself  on  a  sudden  caught  in  the  maelstrom  of 
greed  and  passion  which  has  swelled  gigantic  all  about  him.  It  is 
resistless;  he  has  no  choice  but  to  be  swept  along  in  its  mighty  swirl; 
though  he  would  gladly  retire  to  a  country  villa  and  feed  ducks,  he 
must  remain  to  be  torn  and  crushed  and  made  sorrowful  at  the  center 
of  things. 

"There  is  no  help  for  it.  Nicholas  is  a  puppet,  in  spite  of  his  apparent 
autocracy.  Surrounded  by  strong,  forceful,  able  men  who  lust  for 
conquest  and  more  power,  he  has  nothing  to  do  but  yield  to  their  ini- 
tiative. If  he  resisted  them,  he  knows  that  his  life  would  not  be  worth 
a  rouble.  He  would  be  snuffed  out  in  a  night  like  a  candle,  and  his 
giant  uncle,  the  Grand  Duke  Alexis,  who  is  as  barbaric  in  his  instincts, 
tastes  and  modes  of  .thought  as  Catharine  herself,  would  be  set  in  his 
place. 


BIRTH  AND  PROGRESS  OF  MODERN  RUSSIA.  163 

"Poor,  young  Czar!  He  is  fighting",  not  for  Manchuria  or  Korea,  but 
for  his  own  life  and  his  children's.  Pie  is  fighting,  not  the  Japanese, 
but  the  men  who  daily  kiss  his  hand  in  his  own  drawing-room." 

This  picture  is  undoubtedly  overdrawn,  yet  it  is  unquestioned  to-day 
that  the  Czar  did  not  look  for  war,  and,  like  his  forces,  was  totally 
unprepared  for  the  initial  blow  when  it  fell. 

Nicholas  II  will  ever  be  remembered  as  the  ruler  who  urged  the 
Peace  Conference  which  resulted  in  The  Hague  Court  of  International 
Arbitration  and  for  his  more  recent  edict  relieving  the  Russian  serfs 
of  much  of  former  bondage.  More  than  once  since  negotiations 
opened  with  Japan  it  has  been  reported  that  his  wish  was  for  peace, 
but  it  is  evident  that  his  counselors  have  overruled  him.  The  policy 
of  Peter  must  not  be  relegated  to  the  background  because  the  present 
occupant  of  the  throne  prefers  peace.  Russia  has  ever  been  aggres- 
sive. She  is  agressive  now  and  the  counselors  have  prevailed.  A 
peace-loving  Czar  may  pray  for  the  success  of  Russian  arms,  but  he 
cannot  recall  his  troops  or  reopen  negotiations  until  the  war  has  run 
its  course. 

At  least  it  was  no  insignificant  matter  that  brought  Russia  and 
Japan  to  the  verge  of  hostilities.  There  was  a  good  deal  of  truth  in 
the  saying  that  England  drifted  into  the  Crimean  war  without  knowing 
exactly  why  it  did  so.  Not  less  accurate  was  Lord  Palmerston's 
familiar  declaration  concerning  the  Schleswig-PIolstein  troubles.  Only 
three  men  in  Europe,  he  said,  ever  knew  what  those  war-making  trou- 
bles were.  Two  of  the  men  died  before  the  war  broke  out  and  the 
third  forgot  what  was  the  point  in  dispute.  A  slighting  reference  by 
Frederick  the  Great  to  Mme.  Pompadour  was  one  of  the  exciting 
causes  of  the  seven  years'  war.  An  overturned  glass  of  water  was 
one  of  the  contributing  elements  to  another.  The  omission  of  a  sim- 
ple "etc."  was  the  peg  upon  which  an  earlier  one  was  hung.  The 
theft  of  a  lady's  petticoat  brought  Moors  and  Spaniards  to  bloodshed. 
The  smashing  of  a  mandarin's  teapot  was  the  basis  of  a  war  between 
the  imperial  forces  of  China  and  hill  tribes  which  lasted  for  genera- 
tions. 


164 


THE  GREAT  WAR  IN  THE  EAST. 


If  this  be  any  consolation  to  Nicholas  II  it  is  perhaps  the  only 
element  of  satisfaction  open  to  the  peace-loving  monarch,  who  un- 
willingly saw  thousands  of  his  subjects  go  forth  to  die  in  the  warfare 
he  abhors. 


CHAPTER  XII. 

STORY  OF  THE  GRAY  OLD  HERMIT. 

Soldiers  Armed  with  Arrows— Queerest  People  on  Earth— Frightened  at  a  Laugh- 
Strange  Marriage  Customs— The  Pig  Important  to  the  Korean— Weird  Medi- 
cal Treatment— Where  Wild  Beasts  Lurk— 10,000  Korean  Ears  as  War  Spoils. 

JRECTLY  across  the  narrow  Strait  of  Korea  opposite  Japan  lies 
the  gray  old  hermit  nation,  dressed  in  white  cotton  grown  on  its 
own  soil  and  spun  by  its  own  ringers.   Its  people  are  the  gentlest, 
most  foolish,  credulous  people  in  the  whole  world. 

The  race  is  almost  without  a  rival  physically.  Even  the  most  stal- 
wart of  the  Mongols  is  not  taller,  straighter  or  swifter  of  limb  than 
these  dreamy,  yellow-skinned  children  of  sloth  and  dreams.  Their 
Emperor  is  a  soft-eyed,  effeminate  Oriental,  a  recluse  surrounded  by 
dancing  girls  and  plotting  eunuchs,  and  the  government  which  is  sup- 
posed to  administer  is  utterly  corrupt.  His  army  is  a  huge  joke.  A 
part  of  it  is  armed  with  modern  weapons,  but  it  is  absolutely  without 
military  spirit  and  is  treacherous  to  the  core. 

WAR    AWAKES    THE    SLEEPER. 

It  was  into  his  dominions  and  upon  his  cities  that  Jap  and  Russ 
poured  to  determinate  the  outcome  of  their  fierce  quarrel,  kill  each 
other  by  hundreds,  introduce  a  reign  of  terror  and  anarchy,  devastate 
the  land  and  perchance  finally  absorb  it  by  right  of  conquest.  But  the 
solemn-visaged  ruler  of  Korea  could  not  say  nay  to  the  intrusion — 
not  that  he  welcomed  the  intruders,  but  through  force  of  the  fact  that 
bows  and  arrows  were  unlikely  to  prevail  against  two  such  ferocious 

165 


i66  THE  GREAT  WAR  IN  THE  EAST. 

hosts  as  fell  upon  his  slumbering  domain  and  awoke  it  with  the  thun- 
der of  modern  artillery. 

SOLDIERS   ARMED  WITH    ARROWS. 

At  the  battle  of  Pingyang  in  1894  a  part  of  the  Korean  army  vol- 
unteered to  assist  the  Chinese  in  resisting  the  Japanese.  But  when 
the  battle  opened  they  fired  a  few  flights  of  foolish  arrows  and  then 
ran  away  to  the  woods,  to  cower  and  hide  for  days  until  they  were 
assured  that  there  was  no  further  fighting  in  prospect.  One  sees 
everywhere  in  Korea  the  old  men,  tall,  erect,  with  trailing  white 
beards  and  the  mien  of  so  many  Solomons,  puffing  their  long  pipes 
with  a  majestic  gravity  picturesque  beyond  expression.  There  are 
scholars  among  them  who  know  the  great  Chinese  classics  and  live  in 
an  atmosphere  of  poetry;  but  of  practical  ideas  or  of  capacity  for 
progress  they  are  quite  devoid. 

An  old  world  traveler,  returned  to  his  New  York  home  just  before 
the  war  started,  tells  of  being  informed  at  Pingyang  by  its  native 
governor,  a  bearded  dignitary  in  a  crimson  silk  robe,  with  a  jade 
pigeon  in  his  official  cap,  that  the  reason  there  were  not  more  wells 
there  was  that  the  city  was  on  an  island,  and  that  if  too  many  holes 
were  bored  in  the  bottom  of  it  it  might  sink.  And  while  they  talked 
the  fleas  were  hopping  amiably  from  his  gorgeous  robe  to  the  traveler's 
riding  jacket ;  for  Korea  is  a  very  dirty  and  verminous  part  of  the 
world. 

KOREA  OF  STRATEGIC  VALUE. 

Save  for  her  agriculture  and  the  gold  mines  in  her  northern  hills — 
the  value  of  which,  by  the  way,  has  been  greatly  exaggerated — Korea 
has  no  sources  of  wealth.  Her  value  to  the  victor  in  this  war  will  be, 
for  the  present  at  least,  her  strategic  value,  for  it  must  take  generations 
to  develop  the  Koreans  to  any  serious  point  of  industrial  productive- 
ness. In  her  ancient  days  she  developed  a  very  pure  art,  which  was 
shown  physically  in  her  potteries.  But  when  Kato  and  Konishi  con- 
quered Korea  they  took  the  famous  potters  in  chains  to  the  Japanese 
province  of  Satsuma,  and  that  was  the  origin  of  the  Japanese  pottery, 


STORY  OF  THE  GRAY  OLD  HERMIT.  167 

which  has  been  so  vulgarized  by  the  modern  artists.     Today  Korea  is 
even  without  arts. 

QUEEREST    PEOPLE    ON    EARTH. 

As  the  Japanese  army  marched  on  its  way  to  the  capital  of  Korea 
the  soldiers  were  stared  at  by  some  of  the  queerest  people  on  earth. 
We  think  of  the  Chinese  as  living  among  the  traditions  of  several 
thousand  years  ago,  yet  the  Flowery  Kingdom  is  right  up  to  date  com- 
pared with  the  Hermit  Kingdom. 

When  the  American  Commodore  Perry  unlocked  the  Empire  of 
Japan  he  started  that  realm  into  the  quickest  development  of  civiliza- 
tion that  the  world  ever  saw.  Another  American  sailor.  Admiral 
Schufeldt,  opened  Korea  to  the  commerce  of  the  world  by  treaty 
negotiated  23  years  ago,  yet  the  drowsy  hermit  has  not  yet  even  begun 
to  rub  his  eyes.  The  nation  is  still  almost  as  backward  as  when  the 
American  navy  had  to  give  it  a  trouncing  shortly  after  the  American 
Civil  War  for  attacking  Yankees  who  were  inquisitive  enough  to  un- 
dertake to  explore  Korean  rivers. 

FRIGHTENED   AT   A   LAUGH. 

The  country  is  hoary  with  age.  Some  cities  date  back  to  the  time 
of  King  David.  The  land  is  so  old  that  the  very  rocks  seem  to  crumble 
with  rottenness.  The  Koreans  themselves  believe  that  their  nation 
has  lived  about  the  allotted  time,  but  they  are  excessively  proud  of 
their  antiquity.  They  never  smile.  They  can't  understand  how  it 
enters  the  heads  of  foreigners  to  smile  at  anything.  Some  there  are 
who  have  become  frightened  and  took  to  their  heels  at  the  sight  of  a 
white  man  indulging  in  a  hearty  laugh. 

Korean  men  of  the  wealthy  classes  are  among  the  richest  dressers 
in  the  world.  More  than  in  anything  else  they  take  pride  in  their  high, 
conical,  Mother  Goose-like  hats,  made  of  horsehair  woven  so  loosely 
that  it  keeps  out  neither  sun  nor  rain.  The  nobles  strut  about  the 
streets  clad  in  all  sorts  of  gorgeous  gowns  and  attended  by  retainers 
garbed  in  all  sorts  of  liveries.  The  noble  has  a  different  costume  for 
almost  every  occasion. 


168  THE  GREAT  WAR  IN  THE  EAST. 

One  can  tell  a  Korean's  position  in  society  by  his  dress.  Style  of  cos- 
tume differs  for  every  caste,  particularly  in  hats  and  in  sleeves.  For 
funerals  the  Korean  dresses  with  special  elaborateness,  so  that  a  death 
brings  a  richer  harvest  to  the  tailor  than  does  a  wedding. 

The  foreigner  is  apt  to  be  struck  with  the  attractive  appearance  of 
what  he  supposes  to  be  little  girls.  Without  any  other  head  covering 
than  their  hair,  which  flows  down  their  backs,  they  are  brightly 
gowned.  But  these  little  folks  are  boys,  not  girls.  When  a  little 
chap  marries  he  dons  the  conical  hat  for  the  first  time,  and,  no  doubt, 
is  as  proud  as  the  American  boy  with  his  first  pair  of  knee  pants.  On 
that  occasion,  too,  his  hair  is  shaved  from  his  head,  all  except  a  little 
top-knot  about  the  size  of  a  baby's  fist,  which  is  done  up  in  a  wad 
on  the  top  of _ the  head. 

If  nature  has  given  beauty  to  any  girl  or  woman  in  Korea  the 
seductive  gift  is  effectually  concealed  by  her  style  of  dress.  Her  cos- 
tume is  hideous.  Grotesque,  loose  trousers  extend  from  the  waist  to 
the  ankles,  where  they  are  tightly  tied.  Over  this  garment  is  a  petti- 
coat barely  reaching  to  the  knees.  A  little  yoke  or  shoulder  cape  with 
monstrous  sleeve  attached  protects  the  shoulders  and  arms,  but  the 
dressmaker  has  quite  forgotten  to  conceal  the  naked  flesh  from  the 
chest  to  the  waist  with  any  sort  of  apparel.  The  material  for  this 
costume  is  a  coarse  cloth  woven  out  of  the  fiber  of  millet  steins. 

The  only  attractively  dressed  native  women  in  Korea  are  the  danc- 
ing women,  "Ki-sang,"  who  somewhat  correspond  to  the  famous 
geisha  girls  of  Japan;  but  these  Korean  dancers  are  wives  of  court 
retainers,  well  up  in  society,  and  their  function  is  to  amuse  guests 
at  official  dinners. 

The  Korean  matron  carries  her  child  on  her  back,  its  little  feet 
resting  on  straps  and  its  legs  clasped  around  its  mother's  waist.  The 
youngster  is  not  weaned  until  he  is  4  or  5  years  old. 

STRANGE    MARRIAGE    CUSTOMS. 

Marriageable  girls  are  secluded,  just  as  they  are  in  China,  and  so, 
too,  arc  they  bought  and  sold  like  merchandise  in  the  matrimonial 


STORY  OF  THE  GRAY  OLD  HERMIT.  169 

market.  For  that  matter  the  male  children  have  as  little  liberty  in 
the  choice  of  their  spouses,  for  they  are  betrothed,  perhaps,  while 
they  are  still  being  carried,  pappoose  fashion,  on  their  mother's  backs. 
Before  marriage  the  girl  wears  a  wide,  stiff  belt  around  her  waist, 
which  supports  her  figure.  At  marriage  the  ugliness  of  her  costume 
is  enhanced  by  the  plucking  out  by  the  roots  of  her  eyebrows  and 
the  short  hair  which  on  American  maidens  might  do  duty  as  bangs. 

In  Korea  the  wife  is  household  drudge,  child-bearer,  gardener,  stable 
boy,  farm  hand  and  man  of  all  work.  If  her  lazy  husband  is  a  farmer 
life  for  him*  is  "one  grand  sweet  song."  She  does  all  the  field  work, 
except  perhaps  in  the  critical  time  of  harvest,  when  he  can  be  induced 
to  help  a  little  to  save  the  crop. 

Unlike  the  enterprising  Jap  or  the  industrious  Chinaman  the  Korean 
is  a  lazy  lout.  It  is  said  that  while  on  earth  he  gets  just  two  baths — 
immediately  after  birth  and  directly  after  death.  But  though  he  be 
filthy  in  body  his  clothes  are  immaculately  clean,  and  his  heaviest 
expense  is  the  replacing  of  garments  worn  out  by  excessive  rubbing 
and  beating  at  the  laundry.  The  favorite  posture  of  the  Korean  while 
at  work  is  to  squat  on  his  heels.  His  chief  recreation  is  the  ancient 
sport  of  falconry. 

THE    KOREAN    DRESS. 

Korean  children  are  dressed  in  embroidered  jackets  and  caps,  and 
with  them,  as  with  the  Chinese,  the  care  that  is  lavished  upon  the 
dressing  of  little  boys  in  well-to-do  families  shows  the  estimation  in 
which  they  are  held  and  the  affection  that  is  lavished  upon  them,  to 
the  exclusion  of  their  sisters. 

As  for  the  male  population  of  the  country,  it  looks  like  one  vast  and 
sorted  white  demonstration.  Whatever  his  rank  and  wealth,  the  every- 
day dress  of  the  Korean  man  is  white — trousers,  shirt  and  full-sleeved 
cloak,  all  made  of  flowing  linen  and  kept  scrupulously  clean.  He  may, 
if  he  be  a  man  of  means,  wear  a  blue  silk  cloak  in  place  of  white,  or 
other  elaborate  costume,  but  this  is  only  for  polite  society.  Except  in 
the  case  of  a  handful  of  youths,  educated  during  the  last  decade  at 


i;o  THE  GREAT  WAR  IN  THE  EAST. 

the  English  school,  the  hair  is  never  cut,  but  is  gathered  into  a  top- 
knot, thick,  coarse  and  frowsy. 

THE   PIG   IMPORTANT    TO    THE    KOREAN. 

As  in  China  rice  is  the  staple  article  of  food  throughout  Korea,  but 
the  people  indulge  more  freely  in  beef  and  pork  than  other  Mongolian 
peoples,  and  they  are  especially  fond  of  fish.  Other  common  dishes 
are  crushed  beans,  cabbage,  chillies  and  strings  of  meat  and  dough. 
Fish  is  dried  in  the  sun  without  salt. 

The  houses  of  the  common  people  are  huts  built  of  baked  mud, 
floored  with  like  material  and  roofed  with  thatched  straw.  One  apart- 
ment is  reserved  for  the  pig,  every  family  having  one.  Flues  beneath 
the  floor  keep  the  room  unbearably  hot  for  white  folk,  summer  as  well 
as  winter.  The  hillsides  are  swept  bare  of  trees  and  bushes  to  supply 
fuel  for  these  furnaces  until  timber  has  become  a  scarce  and  precious 
luxury.  All  that  is  fit  to  go  into  the  construction  of  houses  is  imported 
from  Japan.  Even  the  sprouts  that  spring  up  around  the  roots  of 
former  trees  are  carefully  cut  to  feed  the  ever-hungry  stoves. 

BETWEEN    TWO    FIRES. 

Early  in  the  Japanese  invasion  of  Korea  the  Emperor  performed  a 
characteristic  "flop"  and  forthwith  sent  liberal  presents  to  the  Japanese 
troops  at  Seoul  and  other  points  of  the  peninsula.  This  marked  a 
decided  change  of  policy.  The  Japanese  minister  informed  the  Em- 
peror of  Korea  that  the  Japanese  government  would  appoint  a  mem- 
ber of  the  Japanese  imperial  house  as  viceroy,  and  that  he  would  come 
to  Seoul  merely  as  an  adviser  to  the  Korean  government.  The  Em- 
peror was  assured  that  there  was  no  cause  for  alarm,  and  that  the  ap- 
pointment was  only  temporary. 

KOREA    CULTIVATES   JAPAN. 

The  Japanese  seized  Russia's  coal  depot  at  Chemulpo,  where  con- 
siderable coal  was  stored.  The  Japanese  authorities  then  returned  the 
Korean  telegraph  office  to  Korean  Officials  and  chartered  the  only 
Korean  commercial  steamers,  five  in  number,  for  use  as  colliers,  and 


STORY  OF  THE  GRAY  OLD  HERMIT.  171 

likewise  the  only  existing  Korean  warship,  the  Yank  Mu,  for  the  same 
purpose. 

The  Korean  minister  at  St.  Petersburg  was  not  asleep  and  promptly 
announced  that  although  36,000  Korean  troops  were  stationed  about 
Seoul,  his  government  preferred  not  to  take  up  arms  against  Japan, 
because  Korea  was  neutral  and  felt  sure  Russia  would  soon  drive  out 
the  Japanese. 

AMERICANS    BOXED    UP    IN    SEOUL. 

With  the  first  signs  of  war  there  was  a  grand  scramble  of  Americans 
in  the  Orient  to  the  the  refuge  afforded  by  a  score  of  American  con- 
sular and  diplomatic  posts.  With  the  hideous  echo  of  the  Boxer 
uprising  in  China  fresh  in  memory  transplanted  Americans  were  taking 
no  chances  with  the  possible  awakening  of  cruel,  ferocious  instincts  in 
Chinese,  Korean,  Manchu,  Jap  or  even  Russian.  Seoul,  Korea's  capi- 
tal, had  been  looked  upon  as  the  probable  storm  center.  Horace  N. 
Allen,  the  United  States  minister  who  guarded  our  interests  against 
Korean  outlawry,  was  not  only  haunted  day  and  night  by  spectral  as- 
sassins in  the  performance  of  his  routine  duties,  but  was  boxed  up  in 
an  unhealthy  bungalow,  with  so  low  a  ceiling  that  he  could  not  stand 
upright  with  his  hat  on. 

A  battalion  of  Yankee  marines  from  the  Vicksburg,  with  a  Colt 
automatic,  was  on  hand  long  before  the  outbreak  to  guard  the  lega- 
tion. Minister  Allen  was  forced  to  eschew  the  comforts  of  a  suburban 
home  which  he  built  for  himself,  and  at  his  own  expense,  after  strug- 
gling three  months  with  the  dread  malaria  and  barely  escaping  death. 
An  insanitary  shack,  this  frail  pile  of  mud  and  tile,  with  low,  damp 
chambers  built  upon  the  ground.  Two  of  the  United  States  envoys 
succumbed  to  malarial  diseases  contracted  within  their  bed  rooms  and 
an  official  of  the  foreign  office  was  stricken  down  by  the  same  fever 
after  reposing  but  a  few  nights  within  these  walls.  Nor  were  the 
hygiene  and  the  ceiling  height  of  this  sacred  domicile  the  sum  total  of 
its  deficiencies.  Its  architecture  was  truly  eccentric,  for,  like  the  pro- 
verbial Irishman's  shanty,  it  stood  rear  side  foremost,  the  kitchen 
being  in  front,  an  embarrassing  arrangement  for  a  dignified  envoy 


172  THE  GREAT  WAR  IN  THE  EAST. 

extraordinary,  who  must  rub  elbows  with  European  diplomacy  swag- 
gering in  gold  lace  and  sneeringly  hypercritical. 

THE   UNITED   STATES   LEGATION. 

The  United  States  legation  compound  at  Seoul,  converted  into 
a  camp  of  marines,  was  a  plot  of  over  three  acres,  adjoining  the 
grounds  of  the  imperial  palace  where  Emperor  Heui  Yi,  fearing  assas- 
sination by  day,  plied  his  scepter  between  midnight  and  dawn  in  the 
glare  of  the  American  electric  light.  It  was  in  the  heart  of  the  legation 
settlement.  Adjacent  to  the  ministerial  bungalow  stood  the  houses 
of  the  secretary,  constable,  interpreter  and  attendants,  also  the  jail ; 
for  in  Korea  as  well  as  in  China,  Siam  and  Turkey,  the  United  States 
has  extra-territorial  rights  over  its  own  citizens,  none  of  whom  is 
amenable  to  native  law.  All  of  these  buildings  were  old,  flimsy,  one- 
story  native  houses  of  mud  and  tile,  reinforced  by  thin  brick  walls. 

PRECAUTIONS   FOR  SAFETY  OF   AMERICANS. 

Peeping  over  the  walls  of  this  compound  Minister  Allen  could  see 
all  the  neighboring  legations  and  consulates  bustling  with  troops. 
Then  his  fatherly  eye  scanned  the  roofs  of  300  Americans,  for  whose 
women  and  children  he  had  to  provide  escort  when  they  ventured  in 
the  streets.     His  was  truly  a  heavy  responsibility. 

Seoul  is  greater  than  Washington,  Detroit  or  New  Orleans  in  point 
of  population.  In  the  event  of  anti-foreign  demonstration  the  Ameri- 
cans would  be  outnumbered  a  thousand  to  one.  With  this  knowledge 
our  envoy  warned  all  women  and  children  to  remain  hidden  within 
their  doors  as  soon  as  the  first  murmurs  of  anti-foreign  demonstra- 
tion began  to  be  heard.  In  co-operation  with  the  other  diplomats  ac- 
credited to  Seoul  he  arranged  an  alarm  signal  which  was  to  be  sounded 
at  the  first  moment  of  uprising.  The  Korean  army  consisted  of  but 
3,500  men,  but  not  even  this  little  handful  of  soldiers  had  been  trained 
in  modern  military  science.  It  resembled  a  constabulary  rather  than 
an  army,  and  from  the  first  it  was  realized  that  its  powers  in  coping 
with  a  fanatical  horde,  seized  with  the  instinct  to  pillage  and  burn, 
would  be  nil. 


STORY  OF  THE  GRAY  OLD  HERMIT.  173 

The  favorite  remedy  which  Korean  physicians  administer  to  their 
unhappy  patients  is  to  stab  them.  If  any  part  of  the  body  is  sore  or 
in  pain  a  needle  is  thrust  into  that  part.  Frequently  lances  are  reck- 
lessly jabbed  into  the  abdomen  or  breast  to  the  length  of  the  hand 
without  regard  to  the  position  of  vital  organs  that  might  be  in  the 
way. 

If  this  method  of  treatment  fails  all  sorts  of  incantations  and  super- 
stitious practices  are  resorted  to.  A  white  traveler  once  saw  a  native 
physician  prescribe  for  a  patient  a  brother's  finger  made  into  soup. 
The  brother  cheerfully  parted  with  his  finger,  but  the  visitor  did  not 
remain  long  enough  to  watch  the  effect  of  the  medicine. 

There  are  few  Buddhists  left  in  Korea  since  they  were  all  driven 
out  of  Seoul,  the  capital,  for  inciting  a  rebellion.  The  religion  of 
the  lower  orders — if  religion  it  can  be  called — is  a  species  of  devil 
worship.  The  native  believes  that  evil  spirits  inhabit  withered  trees, 
and  every  time  a  Korean  passes  one  of  these  objects  he  throws  a  stone 
or  a  bright  piece  of  rag  at  it  to  propitiate  the  demons.  In  times  of 
trouble  the  spirits  are  further  placated  by  offerings  of  rice  and  wine 
left  in  a  little  house  near  the  foot  of  the  tree. 

WHERE   WILD  BEASTS  LURK. 

To  the  north  of  Korea  lies  the  wildest  part  of  Manchuria,  peopled 
by  an  ignorant  and  unprogressive  race,  who  have  lost  even  the  military 
traits  which  they  once  possessed.  There  has  always  been  a  neutral 
zone  between  Korea  and  Manchuria.  This  little  strip  of  country, 
being  without  government,  was  peopled  by  outlaws  and  wild  beasts. 
The  country  today  has  been  to  some  extent  subdued  and  ordered  by 
the  presence  of  Russian  authority.  It  is  in  this  region  that  the  Russian 
troops  were  massed. 

A  part  of  the  forces  were  slowly  moved  down  from  Vladivostok,  at 
the  mouth  of  the  Ameer  river,  and  from  Mukden,  the  ancient  Tartar 
capital,  through  which  the  Port  Arthur  branch  of  the  Trans-Siberian 
Railway  runs.  These  bodies  of  Russian  troops,  moving  on  foot  from 
the  east  and  the  west,  passed  through  a  country  whose  language  they 


174  THE  GREAT  WAR  IN  THE  EAST. 

could  not  speak,  surrounded  by  a  sullen,  suspicious,  primitive  people. 

Korea,  long  known  as  the  "Hermit  Kingdom,"  has  since  early  in 
history  been  the  cause  of  trouble  between  China  and  Japan.  Lying 
as  she  does  between  the  two  she  acted  as  a  buffer  state  and  each 
strove  for  her  control.  In  the  first  battles,  China  had  the  best  of  it. 
The  Japanese  fleet  was  destroyed  and  the  Koreans  were  forced  to  pay 
tribute  to  China.  The  Mongol  tyrant  Kublai  Kahn  also  used  them  to 
swell  the  army  with  which  he  attempted  to  invade  and  subdue  Japan, 
as  told  in  the  chapter  devoted  to  the  land  of  the  Mikado.  He  was, 
however,  defeated  with  great  loss  and  the  Japanese  invaded  Korea  in 
revenge  and  carried  home  10,000  Korean  ears  as  spoils  of  war. 

Until  recent  years  Korea  has  stood  still,  and  even  now  that  Japan 
has  infused  the  country  with  some  of  her  progressive  ideas,  the 
dress  and  customs  of  the  people  are  the  same  as  they  were  1,000  years 
ago.  A  Korean  never  runs,  unless  driven  by  the  lash.  He  crawls 
along  the  streets  of  his  city  or  town,  and,  if  struck,  falls  down  and 
waits  to  be  picked  up.  Apathy  to  pain  or  pleasure  is  in  every  face  the 
same. 

LAZIEST    WORKMEN    ON    EARTH. 

To  see  Korean  workmen  digging  up  the  ground  is  a  lesson  as  to 
how  things  should  not  be  done.  An  enormous  spade  is  sunk  into  the 
soil  by  two  or  three  coolies  with  an  immense  expenditure  of  groans 
and  then  two  or  three  more  gradually  pull  it  up  with  ropes,  at  which 
they  heave  like  a  crew  of  sailors  heaving  up  an  anchor.  It  naturally 
follows  that  each  spadeful  of  earth  takes  as  long  to  extract  as  if  it  were 
a  load  of  gold  ore.  Instead  of  using  carrying  poles  like  the  Chinese, 
they  pile  the  packages  and  burdens  that  they  have  to  carry  on  heavy 
wooden  pack  saddles,  which  must  throw  the  weight  in  the  wrong  place 
and  increase  the  strain  on  the  dorsal  muscles. 

At  Chemulpo,  or  Jensen,  as  the  Japanese  call  the  port,  the  shore  is 
crowded  with  a  hustling,  pushing  horde  of  porters,  all  waiting  for  the 
incoming  boats  and  forcing  their  way  on  to  the  sampans  as  they  are 
pulled  on  to  the  mud  banks.     It  takes  two  of  these  men  to  carry  what 


STORY  OF  THE  GRAY  OLD  HERMIT. 


i/5 


one  Chinese  coolie  would  bear  with  ease,  and  the  clinging  folds  of 
their  white  linen  skirts,  even  though  they  be  turned  up,  do  not  make 
their  progress  any  easier.  It  is  said  that  under  proper  and  vigilant 
direction  the  Korean  coolie  does  a  fair  day's  work  for  less  than  a  fair 
day's  wages. 

The  people  are  taller  and  more  robust  than  the  Japanese  and  are 
probably  of  Mongolian-Tartar  origin.  They  are  much  like  the  in- 
habitants of  Northern  China  and  practice  similar  so-called  religious 
customs. 

Seoul  (called  by  the  Koreans  Han  Yang  or  King  Gi),  is  the  capital 
and  Chemulpo  the  principal  treaty  port.  The  others  are  Fusan  and 
Gensan.  The  cities  of  the  country  are  the  dirtiest  on  earth.  Filth  is 
all  pervading  and  the  smell,  is  indescribable.  Foreigners  visiting  one 
of  the  cities  are  compelled  to  cut  their  stay  short  on  this  account. 


Uncorking  the  Volcano. 


RUSSIAN  TORTOISE — "I  WONDER  IF  HE  IS  ASLEEP." 

Everyone  knows  the  fable  of  the  Tortoise  and  the  Hare.      In  this  case  the  Tortoise  had  some 
reason  to  believe  that  the  Hare  was  not  really  asleep. 


CHAPTER  XIII. 
RUSSIA'S  FIGHTING  POWER. 

The  Eastern  Gibraltar — Precautions  that  Failed — A  Railroad  Conductor  Mistaken 
for  the  Czar — Russian  Officers  Box  Sailors'  Ears — The  Vital  Connecting  Link 
— Horror  of  Lake  Baikal  Recalled — Compared  with  Santiago  Campaign — Sol- 
diers' Diets  Compared — Russia's  Grim  Warrior  Leaders. 

OSTILITIES  opened  as  a  surprise  for  Russia.  Although  pos- 
sessing immense  military  and  naval  strength  it  was  not  so  dis- 
tributed as  to  be  available  for  immediate  use.  The  Great  White 
Bear  of  Europe  had  little  fear  of  an  outbreak  on  the  part  of  the  little 
Red  Ant  of  the  Orient  without  the  delays  of  long  diplomatic  nego- 
tiations. In  this  she  was  mistaken.  And  like  all  the  world  she  gasped 
with  surprise  when  the  Japanese  blow  fell  at  Port  Arthur. 

THE  EASTERN   GIBRALTAR. 

Naturally  interest  centers  upon  this  great  Russian  outpost,  the 
eastern  Gibraltar.  Writing  from  the  spot  just  before  the  war  an 
English  expert  pronounced  the  great  fortress  that  has  since  occupied 
the  wrapt  attention  of  civilization  untenable.  Of  course  due  allow- 
ance must  be  made  for  the  fact  he  saw  through  English  eyes.  Sub- 
sequent developments  afforded  an  excellent  test  of  the  value  of  his 
expert  opinion,  expressed  thus : 

"Port  Arthur  is  over-fortified.  Its  frowning  works,  mounds  of 
earth  and  bastions  of  granite  rock,  its  glacis  and  its  trenches,  circling 
and  crowning  some  score  or  more  of  often  remote  and  disconnected 
hills  that  can  be  dominated  from  other  heights  render  them  open  to 

i77 


178  THE  GREAT  WAR  IN  THE  EAST. 

attack  and  capture  in  detail.  And  to  such  a  form  of  assault  they  are 
still  further  peculiarly  exposed,  for  the  scorings  of  the  soil  are  numer- 
ous and  deep.  Gullies  traverse  the  hills  in  all  directions,  and  there 
is  magnificent  cover  for  riflemen,  often  up  to  within  300  yards  or  less 
of  the  nearest  outlying  defenses  of  the  main  works.  Again,  scarcely 
half  the  forts  are  completed  or  have  any  guns  in  position  to  check  an 
attack  delivered  from  the  land  side. 

''It  is  different  toward  the  sea  front,  but  even  there  the  harbor  may 
be  reached,  though  there  is  a  boom  nightly  spread  across  the  entrance 
to  the  inner  basin,  and  the  mouth  of  the  haven  can  be  blocked  by  the 
big  old  Chinese  boom,  with  its  'chevaux  de  frise'  of  projecting  spars, 
shod  with  iron.  And,  of  course,  the  Russians  have  laid  down  torpedoes 
and  mines  to  protect  the  channel  and  entrance.  Should  the  forts  fail 
them,  the  mining  expert  is  expected  to  touch  the  button  and  blow  any 
too  daring  enemy's  craft  into  fragments. 

"It  is  intended,  once  the  harbor  has  been  deepened  over  a  greater 
area,  to  open  a  new  channel,  cutting  this  silted  sand  in  a  direction  op- 
posite the  existing  basin  upon  the  far  side  of  the  waterway.  By  that 
means  the  commercial  marine  would  have  its  own  part  of  the  harbor 
and  direct  access  to  the  trader's  wharves  and  the  new  railway  sidings. 
There  is  a  rise  of  8  feet  to  12  feet  of  tide  at  Port  Arthur.  The  two 
latest  battleships  out  from  Europe  found  no  difficulty  in  getting  into 
the  harbor,  although  they  were  said  to  draw  over  28  feet  of  water, 
They  were  at  once  taken  into  the  basin,  where  they  were  touched  up 
and  painted  black  within  two  days,  like  the  other  warships  in  port. 

"In  Tort  Arthur  there  are  in  all  14  warships,  not  counting  torpedo 
boats  or  torpedo  destroyers,  new  or  old  or  acquired  from  the  Chinese. 
Of  the  fourteen  craft  seven  are  battleships,  three  or  four  are  of  a  type 
like  the  Sevastopol,  which  was  still  in  the  basin  the  other  day.  Most  of 
the  ships  are  anchored  in  three  lines  ahead,  behind  the  jutting  point, 
known  as  "Tiger's  Tail."  In  the  outer  lines  are  the  heavier  craft.  Be- 
sides these,  but  also  included  in  the  fourteen,  there  are  two  battleships 
and  a  cruiser  anchored  between  the  hills  at  the  outside  of  the  harbor 


RUSSIA'S  FIGHTING  POWER.  179 

entrance.  All  of  them,  like  the  Japanese  ships,  have  their  fires  alight 
day  and  night,  ready  to  get  under  steam  at  short  notice.  Meanwhile 
they  keep  the  furnaces  going  with  local  coal — Siberian,  Chinese  and 
Japanese.  From  what  I  saw  of  their  fuel  stacks,  I  should  say  that 
the  Russians  could  scrape  together  in  briquettes  or  otherwise  about 
200,000  tons  of  Cardiff  coal  or  its  equivalent. 

"The  Russians  rarely  go  out  either  for  target  practice  or  for  steam- 
ing maneuvers.  From  such  information  as  I  could  gather,  as  well  as 
what  I  saw  for  myself,  they  are  slack  in  their  sailor  duties,  for  the  of- 
ficers spend  much  of  their  time  ashore,  and  the  ideal  of  Russian  life 
seems  to  be  finding  enjoyment  and  solace  in  such  amusements  as  a  very 
"tarry"  town  affords — a  circus,  a  wretched  theater,  parties  and  dis- 
sipation of  the  Cossack  or  Tartar  kind.  And  the  army  men  are  quite 
as  'spreey'  as  their  brothers  of  the  brine. 

"But  it  is  no  worse,  mayhap,  than  Portsmouth  was  a  cycle  or  so 
ago,  when  prize  money  was  plentiful  and  man-o'-warsmen  took  life  as 
Hogarth  has  painted  for  us.  Yes,  and  the  British  sailors  fought  well 
enough  in  those  times.  Again,  it  may  be  that  as  the  Russian  ships  are 
not  taken  either  out  or  into  the  harbor  under  their  own  steam,  but  are 
hauled  by  tugs,  and  directed  by  local  pilots,  there  is  an  excuse  for  their 
not  being  out  and  about  at  sea  every  day. 

"It  takes  much  time  to  get  them  all  towed  out  and  in,  but  the  fact 
that  the  officers  do  not  handle  their  own  ships  under  the  vessel's  own 
steam  indicates  either  a  want  of  confidence  or  a  want  of  experience 
upon  the  part  of  their  naval  commanders.  The  pilots  and  tug  captains, 
by  no  means  all  Russians,  are  now  to  be  set  a  new  trial,  for  the  fleet 
is  to  be  tested  by  being  towed  out  and  into  the  harbor  during  the 
night.  As  the  entrance  is  straight,  wide  and  clear,  though  but  of 
moderate  uniform  depth,  and  the  rocky  hills  stand  out  boldly,  there 
should  be  no  serious  difficulty  or  risk  in  the  adventure.  From  a  fre- 
quent inspection  of  the  fleet's  targets  after  practice  it  is  evident  the 
shooting  is  of  a  very  mediocre  quality.  The  target  was  never  towed  at 
any  great  speed,  nor  was  the  range  a  long  one,  but  it  was  rarely  ever 


180  THE  GREAT  WAR  IN  THE  EAST. 

hit  or  put  in  danger.  Of  course,  I  am  told  it  is  different  with  the 
artillerymen — the  garrison  gunners  in  the  big  shore  batteries  that 
frown  from  every  hill — they  can  shoot  well,  and  many  of  the  cannon 
are  of  great  size." 

VIEW  OF  VLADIVOSTOK. 

This  is  one  view  of  the  bulwark  depended  upon  by  Russia  as  the 
principal  base  for  naval  and  military  operations  in  the  far  East,  and 
one  opinion  of  the  character  and  quality  of  her  fighting  men.  But 
even  the  great  Port  Arthur  can  only  be  considered  as  a  unit  in  the 
system  builded  by  Russia  in  anticipation  of  such  an  emergency.  Far  to 
the  north,  a  distance  of  1,200  miles,  lay  Vladivostok,  ice-bound,  yet 
affording  a  splendid  summer  harbor  and  an  operative  base.  In  a 
country  of  such  tremendous  distances  a  matter  of  1,200  miles  is  a 
mere  bagatelle.  And  besides,  the  railroad  afforded  connections  be- 
tween the  two  and  with  inland  strategic  points  and  Russia  itself.  Let 
us  see  what  impressions  an  American— a  Kansas  City  traveling  man 
— gathered  of  Vladivostok,  advanced  before  the  outbreak  of  the  war. 

"1  went  up  there  on  a  merchantman  while  working  my  way  gradu- 
ally across  the  earth  and  got  there  at  the  proper  time  to  find  every- 
thing ice-bound  and  covered  with  snow.  A  more  desolate  aspect 
than  those  circling  hills  presented  I  want  never  to  see. 

"Every  one  in  the  town  wore  a  uniform  of  some  sort — or  mighty 
nearly  every  one.  After  I'd  been  there  a  few  days  I  though  I'd  seen 
all  of  them,  but  one  bright  Sunday  morning  I  was  standing  in  front 
of  the  railway  station  smoking  a  wretched  cigar  when  my  attention 
was  attracted  to  a  most  imposing-looking  official  who  was  walking 
slowly  down  the  main  street — Wradenrodt,  I  think  it  is — head  held 
erect,  eyes  straight  to  the  front,  gold  lace  on  his  cap,  gold  lace  on 
the  sleeves  of  his  coat,  gold  lace  on  his  coat  collar,  a  sash  and  a  small 
sword  or  baton  at  his  side. 

A  RAILROAD  CONDUCTOR  MISTAKEN  FOR  THE  CZAR. 

"  'Heaven!'  said  I  to  myself.  'This  must  be  the  czar  at  least.'  I 
asked  the  French  consul  about  the  important-looking  personage  and 


RUSSIA'S  FIGHTING  POWER. 


181 


he  told  me  I  had  seen  a  passenger  conductor  who  ran  between  Vladivo- 
stok and  Harbin  on  the  Trans-Siberian  railroad.  I  saw  several  after 
that  and  verified  it.  As  the  railroad  is  operated  by  the  imperial  gov- 
ernment everything  is  military  till  you  can't  rest.  Yes,  I've  drunk 
vodka.  You  can  see  more  sights  on  two  glasses  of  that  stuff  than  on 
any  liquor  I  ever  met  with. 

"I  don't  think  much  of  the  Russians  in  this  trouble.  They  must 
crush  Japan  by  force  of  numbers,  but  if  the  little  brown  men  once 
whip  them  on  the  sea  it  will  be  all  over.  And  they  stand  a  good  chance 
to  do  this,  too — that  is,  of  course,  if  the  Russians  do  not  get  their 
Black  sea  fleet  through  the  Dardanelles  to  add  to  the  Asiatic  squad- 
ron. If  Russia  does  that  the  Japanese  will  have  a  hard  time  of  it. 
There  are  one  or  two  points  to  this  war — if  it  comes — that  should  not 
be  forgotten.  Russia  will  have  to  guard  all  that  stretch  of  railroad 
between  Port  Arthur  and  Harbin,  the  junction  with  the  main  line  of 
the  Trans-Siberian  road. 

"It  will  take  a  big  force  to  do  this  and  it  niust  be  well  done,  for 
if  the  Japs  ever  get  possession  of  it  and  can  then  control  Masampho 
and  Fusan  they  will  come  pretty  close  to  owning  the  country.  Russia 
has  the  advantage  in  that  it  has  been  in  Manchuria  so  long  now  that 
it  has  likely  enough  got  the  railroad  well  protected.  If  Japan  can 
hold  Masampho  and  thus  command  the  straits  and  the  Yellow  Sea  I 
can't  see  where  the  Russians  are  going  to  get  off. 

RUSSIAN  OFFICERS  BOX  SAILORS'  EARS. 

"And  the  Russians — I've  met  many  of  them,  including  a  large  num- 
ber of  officers  in  the  navy.  The  officers,  most  of  them,  are  companion- 
able, social  fellows,  but  I  found  them  excessively  tyrannical.  Our 
sailors  wouldn't  stand  treatment  like  that  accorded  the  Russians — not 
for  a  minute.  The  singular  thing  is  that  there  is  really  so  little  trou- 
ble in  the  crews.  I  remember  standing  one  day  on  the  quarter-deck 
of  a  Russian  warship  in  the  harbor  of  Nagasaki.  A  sailor  walked  to 
the  mast  and  reported  himself  back  from  liberty  ashore.  He  was 
drunk,  very  drunk,  and  that  is  a  serious  offense  in  the  Russian  navy. 


[82  THE  GREAT  WAR  IN  THE  EAST. 

"The  master-at-arms  had  entered  the  man's  name  and  was  allowing 
him  to  turn  away  to  hunt  a  soft  spot  in  the  fo'c'sle,  when  the  officer 
of  the  deck  came  out  of  his  cabin.  In  an  instant  he  had  strode  forward, 
seized  the  sailor  by  the  arm,  something  our  officers  would  never  dare 
to  do,  and  had  wheeled  him  around  so  that  he  could  examine  his  face. 
Then,  giving  him  a  sound  cuff  on  the  ear,  he  sent  him  sprawling  on 
the  deck.  That  sort  ot  action  would  have  subjected  an  American  com- 
missioned officer  to  a  court-martial. 

"The  city  is  a  straggling  place  and  not  one  that  I  would  think  could 
be  easily  defended  against  a  determined  naval  attack." 

THE  VITAL  CONNECTING  LINK. 

So  much  for  Port  Arthur  and  Vladivostok,  the  two  tide-water  ter- 
minals of  the  railroad  so  important  to  Russia.  Now  for  the  railroad 
itself,  the  connecting  link  between  the  seat  of  Russian  government 
and  the  theater  of  war.  Upon  its  newly  laid  rails  rested  the  fate  of 
a  nation,  for  over  its  length  would  have  to  be  transported  every  fighting 
man,  every  horse,  gun  and  all  the  supplies  required  by  the  Russian 
army  in  the  field.  Upon  this  railroad  all  eyes  turned,  for  it  must  be 
remembered  that  3,000  miles  intervened  between  the  scene  of  hos- 
tilities and  Moscow,  the  nearest  Russian  supply  station  of  any  magni- 
tude. 

Had  the  Trans-Siberian  railway  been  twenty  years  old,  double 
tracked  and  up  to  date  in  every  equipment,  with  officials  trained  by 
long  service,  the  outlook  would  have  been  different.  But  no  military 
man  having  experience  in  handling  troops  over  our  newly  constructed 
Western  railways,  believed  it  possible  to  move  any  considerable  body 
of  troops  over  a  single-track  four-thousand-mile  railway — or  two-thou- 
sand-mile, if  you  choose  to  consider  camps  at  which  military  supplies 
were  accumulated  in  uncertain  quantities. 

The  history  of  new  railways  in  the  Western  part  of  the  United 
States  has  been  one  of  washouts,  sinking  of  tracks,  improper  ballasting, 
and  accidents  due  to  light  rails  and  imperfect  equipment.  A  traveler 
who  came  over  the  Trans-Siberian  road  just  before  its  completion 


RUSSIA'S  FIGHTING  POWER.  183 

represented  the  distance  between  switches  at  which  trains  conld  be 
turned  out  as  averaging-  thirty  miles  over  long  stretches  of  territory. 
American  engineers  say  there  has  been  much  bad  engineering.  Tracks 
have  been  laid  in  exposed  positions,  and  the  story  is  told  of  a  stretch 
of  three  miles  of  ties  and  rails  having  been  floated  away  during  a 
single  flood.  Only  a  forty-four-pound  rail  is  used,  which  is  too  light  to 
stand  any  heavy  or  continuous  traffic. 

HORROR  OF  LAKE  BAIKAL  RECALLED. 

Elsewhere,  in  the  story  of  the  first  actions  of  the  war,  the  frightful 
disaster  on  Lake  Baikal  was  recounted,  wherein  two  Russian  com- 
mands were  lost  and  frozen  to  death  in  attempting  to  march  across 
on  the  ice.  For  not  least  among  the  handicaps  under  which  the  war 
was  opened  was  an  uncompleted  section  of  the  railroad  encircling  Lake 
Baikal.  The  latter  is  no  mean  body  of  water.  It  is  the  largest  fresh 
water  lake  in  the  old  world,  with  the  exception  of  the  Victoria  Nyanza. 
It  is  398  miles  long  from  north  to  south,  from  18  to  57  miles  wide, 
and  has  an  area  of  nearly  15,000  square  miles.  It  is  smaller  than 
Lakes  Superior,  Michigan  or  Huron,  but  is  larger  than  either  of  the 
other  two  great  lakes.  As  the  Dead  Sea  is  notable  because  its  surface 
is  below  ocean  level,  Lake  Baikal  is  notable  because  its  surface  is 
1,566  feet  above  sea  level  and  the  bottom  is  1,624  feet  below  it,  giving 
the  lake  the  extraordinary  depth  of  3,185  feet. 

Across  this  great  inland  sea  the  Russians  sought  to  lay  rails  on 
the  surface  of  the  ice.  By  such  means  and  the  employment  of  sledges 
the  railroad  communication  was  maintained,  although  at  deadly  risk 
and  great  cost. 

To  hurry  forward  enforcements  over  such  a  single-track  railway, 
under  such  discouragements,  is  a  work  which  would  not  have  been 
undertaken  with  equanimity  by  even  our  military  men  of  the  early 
days  with  their  broad  experience  in  campaigning  along  newly  con- 
structed railroads.  Yet  that  is  precisely  what  Russia  had  to  do — 
and  did. 


184  THE  GREAT  WAR  IN  THE  EAST. 

The  moving  of  large  bodies  of  troops  by  rail  is  so  difficult  a  matter 
that  an  officer  of  high  rank  who  served  in  the  campaign  of  the  allies  at 
Pekin  declared  early  that  the  congestion  at  the  eastern  end  of  the 
Siberian  railroad  would  be  so  great,  in  rushing  troops  and  supplies 
to  the  front  in  large  quantity,  that  the  authorities  would  actually 
find  it  quicker  and  more  convenient  to  unload  the  troops  at  Lake 
Baikal  and  march  them  overland  to  the  seat  of  war.  The  maximum 
capacity  of  the  Siberian  line  for  continuous  and  prolonged  service  has 
been  stated  as  low  as  500  troops  a  day  with  supplies,  though  the  best 
authorities  set  a  much  higher  figure. 

The  fact  that  the  road  has  a  gauge  of  its  own  made  the  return  of 
cars  from  the  eastern  terminal  a  most  essential  part  of  the  problem. 
Some  of  those  who  discussed  the  situation  apparently  made  the  mis- 
take of  assuming  that  Russia  would  have  to  keep  its  army  supplied  in 
chief  part  by  means  of  this  railroad  line.  The  immediate  question,  in 
the  opinion  of  competent  observers,  was  rather  how  long  it  could 
supply  the  needs  of  its  fighting  men  from  the  stores  accumulated  at 
Port  Arthur  and  Dalny,  another  Russian  coast  supply  sation  near 
Port  Arthur  on  the  same  peninsula. 

In  this  connection  the  statement  of  Joseph  C.  Byron  of  Williams- 
port,  Md.,  who  was  a  captain  and  quartermaster  in  the  United  Stales 
army  in  China  during  the  Boxer  troubles  and  afterward  visited  Korea 
and  Japan,  is  of  interest. 

'There  is  a  great  deal  of  difference,"  he  says,  "between  the  ease 
with  which  supplies  can  be  transported  by  land  and  by  water.  A  ship 
seems  to  have  unlimited  capacity.  We  loaded  the  Pak  Ling  at  Tacoma 
with  hay  and  grain  for  Manila  and  when  by  rights  it  should  have  been 
full,  it  took  sixteen  carloads  of  hay  to  'square  oft  the  hatches'  as  the 
mate  called  it.  This  ship  carried  over  600  carloads.  Imagine  600 
cars  standing  empty  at  the  eastern  terminus  of  the  Siberian  railroad 
and  then  it  inking  their  way  back  over  some  thousands  of  miles  for 
more  supplies  on  a  single-track  road,  a  toilsome  journey  of  weeks  to 
get  to  the  Pacific  and  weeks  to  get  back;  while  Japan,  with  two  ships, 
places  the  same  amount  of  supplies  where  it  needs  them  in  two  days. 


RUSSIA'S  FIGHTING  POWER.  185 

"In  the  Santiago  expedition  we  had  several  miles  of  freight  cars 
waiting  to  get  into  Tampa  and  more  miles  waiting  to  get  out  and  it 
was  a  very  serious  tax  on  our  southern  railroads  with  all  their  facilities 
to  get  our  supplies  on  the  dock  at  Tampa.  Once  there  they  were 
swallowed  up  by  the  ships. 

"A  near  base  and  water  transportation  are  the  strong  points  in 
Japan's  favor,  while  a  distant  base  and  a  single  track  road  are  Rus- 
sia's weakness.  Port  Arthur,  to  be  sure,  is  a  base,  but  only  a  secondary 
one,  for  a  struggle  of  this  kind. 

"No  campaign  prior  to  the  Japanese-Russian  war  ever  illustrated  the 
advantages  of  being  near  at  hand  as  well  as  the  China  campaign  of 
1900.  The  Russians  at  Port  Arthur  and  the  Japanese  at  Nagaski 
were  practically  on  the  spot ;  the  English  at  Hongkong  and  the  Ameri- 
cans at  Manila,  seven  days  away.  These  armies  got  there  and  were 
in  from  the  beginning  to  the  end.  The  others  belonged  to  the  class 
that  'also  ran'  in  the  list  of  winners. 

"As  a  distinguished  but  somewhat  illiterate  soldier  has  remarked, 
Tn  a  fight  the  man  who  gets  there  first  est  with  the  mostest  men  wins 
the  battle.'  And  there  is  Japan's  advantage.  Japan  solved  its  land 
transportation  problem  by  having  coolies  pack  the  supplies  on  their 
backs  with  a  sort  of  sawbuck  arrangement  strapped  under  their  arms. 
A  Chinese  or  Korean  coolie  will  carry  in  this  way  100  to  125  pounds 
all  day  and  keep  up  with  the  army. 

soldier's  diets  compared. 

"Here  again  the  Japanese  have  an  advantage.  Their  soldier's 
ration  is  made  up  of  rice  and  fish,  mostly  rice.  As  everv  one  knows, 
this  is  the  principal  food  also  of  Korea  and  China,  and  large  stores 
of  it  are  found  in  every  seaport.  On  rice  alone  the  Japanese  soldiers 
march  and  fight,  and  one  coolie  will  carry  a  week's  ration  for  ten 
men.    This  reduces  the  subsistence  problem  to  a  very  easy  one. 

"On  the  other  hand,  the  Russian  diet  is  bread  and  meat,  and  into 

the  Russian  camps  in  China  beeves  and  sheep  were  constantly  being 
driven. 


186  THE  GREAT  WAR  IN  THE  EAST. 

"The  Japanese  officer  is  also  very  simple  in  his  tastes  and  habits, 
while  the  Russian  is  notoriously  a  high  liver. 

"The  supply  of  an  army  is  the  hardest  problem — men  well  supplied 
will  win  victories,  while  the  same  men  will  run  away  if  their  stomachs 
are  empty — and  Japan  has  the  advantage  all  the  way  through  in  the 
matter  of  supplies. 

"The  Japanese  officer  is  an  earnest,  enthusiastic  man  in  his  profes- 
sion, never  missing  an  opportunity  to  learn,  and  willing  to  engage 
himself  as  a  barber  or  coolie  or  enter  into  employment  of  any  descrip- 
tion which  will  afford  him  the  means  of  finding  out  something  of  the 
enemy's  country.  And  I  do  not  doubt  but  at  this  moment  the  Japanese 
know  every  detail  of  the  Russian  fortifications  in  the  far  East.  Japan 
lays  its  plans  beforehand  in  every  little  detail  and  follows  them  out. 
'We  will  enter  Pekin  on  Aug.  14,'  said  Gen.  Yamaguchi  at  the  con- 
ference of  generals  at  Tientsin,  and  on  Aug.  14  Pekin  was  in  the  hands 

of  the  allies." 

Russia's  war  strength. 

Despite  all  comment  to  the  contrary  and  the  misfortunes  that  befell 
it  early  in  the  war  the  natural  strength  of  Port  Arthur  is  indisputable. 
This  strength  Russia  took  every  means  to  increase.  The  fortress  was 
made  stronger  on  the  sea  front,  the  re-entrant  form  of  the  coast  ena- 
bling the  forts  guarding  the  entrance  to  bring  a  converging  fire  on  hos- 
tile ships,  while  the  entrance  to  the  harbor,  six  hundred  yards  wide, 
was  protected  by  submarine  mines  and  booms. 

On  the  land  side  there  is  a  semicircle  of  hills  two  and  a  half  miles 
from  the  dock  yard,  on  which  permanent  works,  connected  by  in- 
trenchments,  were  built.  The  Russians  also  threw  a  rampart  around 
the  place.  The  permanent  garrison  consists  of  14,500  men,  but  more 
than  thirty  thousand  were  reviewed  at  Port  Arthur  a  few  weeks 
before  the  opening  of  war  by  Admiral  Alexieff,  the  Viceroy  in  su- 
preme command  of  all  the  forces. 

Vladivostok,  Russia's  naval  base  in  the  Japan  Sea,  suffers  in  com- 
parison with  Port  Arthur  by  reason  of  its  being  ice-bound  for  several 
months    in    the   winter.      The   town    has   about    thirty   thousand   in- 


RUSSIA'S  FIGHTING  POWER. 


187 


habitants  and  has  been  rapidly  growing  since  the  completion  of  the 
Trans-Siberian   Railway. 

Since  January  of  1903  Russia  had  steadily  been  increasing  the 
number  of  her  fighting  ships  in  the  far  East,  hoping  to  make  her 
naval  power  more  than  a  match  for  that  which  Japan  could  oppose  to 
her.  At  that  time  the  total  tonnage  of  the  Russian  fleet  on  the  Asiatic 
station  was  90,000,  but  at  the  beginning  of  1904  it  stood  at  200,000, 
as  against  Japan's  170,000,  and  other  ships  were  on  their  way  from 
Europe,  which  would  make  her  superiority  on  paper  even  more 
manifest. 

At  the  opening  of  hostilities  the  Russian  fleet  on  the  Pacific  station 
consisted  of  the  following : 


BATTLESHIPS. 


Dis-  Indi- 
place-  cated 
ment.  Horse- 
Name.                                     Tons.  Power. 
Poltava,  Petropavlovsk  and 

Sevastopol   10,950  1 1,200 

Retvisan    12,700  16,000 

Poresviet,  Pobieda  and  *Osli- 

abia    12,674  14,500 

Czarevitch    13,100  16,300 

ARMORED  CRUISERS. 

Cromoboi    12,336  18,000 

Bayan    7,800  17,000 

Rossia    12,200  18,000 

Rurik    10,940  13,500 

*Dmitri  Donskoi 5,§93  7,000 

PROTECTED    CRUISERS. 

Bogatyr   6,750  19,500 

Askold    6,500  19,500 

Variag   6,500  20,000 

Diana,  Pallada  and  *  Aurora.  .  6,630  11,600 


Weight 

of 

Nomi- 

Gun 

Broad- 

nal 

Protec- 

side- 

Speed. 

tion. 

Fire 

Knots. 

In. 

Lbs. 

17.0 

10—5 

3.3r>7 

18.0 

10—5 

3434 

19.0 

10—5 

2,672 

18.0 

11—6^4 

3.5i6 

20.0 

6— aYa 

i,i97 

22.0 

7—3 

952 

20.0 

2 

i,34* 

18.0 

2 

i,345 

15.0 

\2 — 2 

444 

23.0 

5—4 

872 

23.0 

— 

772 

23.0 

5 

5IQ 

20.0 

A'A 

632 

i88  THE  GREAT  WAR  IN  THE  EAST. 

Bayarin   3-200     n,5°o     22.0    —  130 

Novik   3.000     18,000     25.0    —  180 

*These  vessels  were  on  their  way  out,  but  had  not  yet  arrived. 

There  were  besides,  7  gun  vessels,  2  torpedo  gunboats,  22  destroyers 
or  torpedo  boats  and,  in  addition,  many  non-fighting  vessels  of  differ- 
ent types,  including  some  transports. 

The  personnel  was  about  20,000. 

EUROPEAN   FLEETS  NOT  CONSIDERED. 

This  estimate  ignores  Russia's  Baltic  and  Black  Sea  fleets  practically 
bottled  up  thousands  of  miles  away  through  existing  treaties,  although 
quietly  making  every  effort  to  reach  the  front. 

Before  the  rapid  increase  during  the  preceding  year  of  the  Man- 
churian  army  by  reinforcements  in  view  of  the  impending  struggle 
with  Japan,  the  two  Siberian  army  corps  were  constituted  as  follows : 

FIRST  SIBERIAN  ARMY  CORPS. 

Battal-  Squad- 
ions,  rons.     Guns. 
In  Southern  Manchuria,  including    troops    at 

Kuang  Fung 21  9             34 

Fortress  battalions   2  —  — 

In   Pe-Chi-Li    12  5             44 

Frontier  guards  in  the  Amur  Siberian 

districts    26  25              28 

Fortress  battalions   2  —  — 

In  the  Semirechernsk  district,  near  Kul- 
In     the     Semirechernsk     district,     near 

Kuldja .- 8  22  28 

Detachments  at  Urza  and  Kuldja —  4               4 

SECOND   SIBERIAN    ARMY    CORPS. 

In  Province  of  Tsitsihar 12  24  22 

Third  European  Rifle  Brigade 8  —  — 

In  Province  of  Kirin 26  29  102 

Fifth  European  and  Sixth  East  Siberian 

Rifle  Brigades    13  —  24 

Total    13°  1 l8  286 

This  would  give  a  total  of  nearly  160,000  men  and  286  guns. 


RUSSIA'S  FIGHTING  POWER.  189 

Back  of  this  force  in  Russia  was  an  army  awaiting  mobilization 
and  transportation  including  627,000  infantry,  117,000  cavalry,  138,- 
000  artillery,  34,000  engineers,  34,000  members  of  departmental  corps, 
60,000  Cossacks  and  2,450,000  reserves,  making  a  total  possible  war 
strength  of  3,460,000  men.  It  is  to  be  remembered,  however,  that 
Russia  cannot  withdraw  her  forces  from  European  frontiers  and 
waters  at  any  time.  For  this  reason  the  whole  of  Japan's  strength 
was  available  against  Russia's  Asiatic  forces. 

Russia's  grim  warrior  leaders. 

No  small  interest  attaches  to  the  personnel  of  Russia's  army,  navy 
and  ministry  at  such  a  time.  Of  this  force  the  Czar's  uncle,  the 
Grand  Duke  Michael,  was  generally  regarded  as  the  Nestor  of  the 
Russian  army.  He  played  a  leading  part  in  the  Russo-Turkish  war, 
commanding  the  army  of  the  Caucasus.  He  was  y2  years  old,  and  not 
expected  to  take  the  field  again.  But  he  certainly  helped  to  form  Rus- 
sia's plan  of  campaign. 

This  veteran  prince  should  not  be  confounded  with  the  younger 
Grand  Duke  Michael,  the  Czar's  brother  and  heir  to  the  Russian 
throne.  The  elder  of  the  two  Michaels  became  president  of  the  com- 
mittee of  ministers.  Although  himself  an  old  war-horse,  he  was  the 
strongest  ally  of  M.  Witte  and  Count  Lamsdorff  in  their  efforts  to 
keep  Russia  at  peace  with  the  world. 

Count  Lamsdorff,  the  foreign  minister,  was  regarded  in  Russia  as  a 
very  poor  successor  to  such  diplomatic  giants  as  Ignatieff,  Gortchakoff 
and  Lobanoff.  He  was  unpopular  with  the  army,  because  he  has  always 
shown  himself  to  be  on  the  side  of  peace. 

Another  grand  duke,  Alexieff  Alevis  Alexandrovitch,  was  the  nomi- 
nal and  theoretical  head  of  the  Russian  navy,  being  "high  admiral." 
He  took  keen  interest  in  naval  matters,  but  the  practical  control  of 
them  was  in  the  hands  of  Vice-Admiral  Tyrtow,  who  directed  the  min- 
istry of  marine. 

Greater  than  all  these  in  Russian  esteem  was  Gen.  Kouropatkin,  at 
the  opening  of  hostilities  the  Czar's  minister  of  war,  but  afterward 


190  THE  GREAT  WAR  IN  THE  EAST. 

called  to  the  active  scene  of  hostilities.  Kouropatkin  was  the  head  of 
the  war  party  in  Russia.  He  believes  in  pushing  Russian  troops  to 
the  uttermost  ends  of  Asia.  In  the  movements  toward  the  Indian 
frontiers  which  have  alarmed  England  in  recent  years,  in  the  ab- 
sorption of  Manchuria  and  in  the  threatened  attacks  on  Korea  his 
hand  was  plainly  seen  by  any  one  familiar  with  Russian  politics. 

Before  becoming  minister  of  war  Kouropatkin  commanded  the  Rus- 
sian army.  He  is  unquestionably  Russia's  greatest  general.  He  is 
the  idol  of  the  army,  for  Skobeleff  is  a  name  to  conjure  with  in  the 
Russian  service  and  he  was  the  late  Skobeleffs  right-hand  man  in 
four  campaigns — the  Russo-Turkish  war,  the  Khivan  expedition  and 
the  Khokandese  and  Merv  campaigns. 

The  appointment  of  Gen.  Kouropatkin,  who  was  relieved  of  his 
functions  as  minister  of  war,  to  the  chief  command  of  the  Russian 
army  in  the  far  East  was  gazetted  as  soon  as  the  seriousnesses  of  the 
situation  impressed  Russia. 

With  the  possible  exception  of  Gen.  Dragomiroff,  formerly  gover- 
nor-general of  Kiev  and  later  member  of  the  council  of  state,  Gen. 
Kouropatkin  is  the  most  popular  man  in  the  Russian  army.  As  a 
bluff  old  soldier  who  has  fought  his  way  up  from  the  bottom  to  be 
minister  of  war  he  is  the  ideal  of  the  enlisted  men.  Not  one  in  the 
Czar's  army  has  seen  more  fighting  and  no  one  can  tell  a  story  bet- 
ter. There  is  never  a  dull  moment  in  his  company,  for  he  intermingles 
the  humorous  incidents  of  his  campaign  with  tales  of  the  self-sacrifice 
of  the  men  whom  he  led  with  Skobeleff  over  the  parched  wastes  of 
Geok-Tepe  or  over  the  icy  slopes  of  Plevna. 

The  Emperor  and  Empress  gave  a  luncheon  to  Gen.  Kouropatkin 
and  the  grand  dukes  at  the  Alexandra  palace,  Tsarke-Selo,  before  the 
start  for  the  front,  and  bade  them  farewell. 

The  appointment  of  Gen.  Kouropatkin  to  direct  command  in  the 
field  was  received  with  enthusiasm  and  his  leadership  inspired  conH 
plete  confidence  that  there  would  be  no  further  mistakes  and  that 
Russian  arms  would  be  carried  to  success  on  land. 


RUSSIA'S  FIGHTING  POWER. 


191 


Gen.  Kouropatkin  was  accompanied  to  the  front  by  the  Grand  Dukes 
Boris,  Alexis,  Nicholas  and  Michael  Nikolaievitch. 

A   MUSCOVITE  CONSTRUCTIVE  GENIUS. 

One  of  Kouropatkin's  strongest  supporters  was  Gen.  Annenkoff, 
who  made  a  great  reputation  by  building  strategic  railways  in  Central 
Asia,  and  was  the  father  of  the  vast  scheme  for  a  Trans-Siberian  line 
to  the  Pacific.  He  first  outlined  that  plan  in  detail  during  a  visit  to 
Paris  in  1891.  Many  so-called  "practical  men"  laughed  at  him  then, 
but  his  ideas  have  since  produced  the  greatest  railroad  in  the  world, 
at  an  admitted  cost  of  $275,000,000  if  not  much  more. 

Michael  Annenkoff  was  born  in  1838  and  received  his  first  com- 
mission in  the  Russian  army  in  1863.  He  is  an  older  veteran  than 
Kouropatkin,  for  he  served  as  a  staff  captain  during  the  Polish  in- 
surrection and  rose  to  the  rank  of  colonel  at  the  age  of  28.  He  was 
with  the  Germans  during  the  Franco-Prussian  war  as  Russian  attache 
and  acted  as  one  of  Skobeleff's  chief  staff  officers  in  the  Merv  cam- 
paign. 

Another  well-known  Russian  soldier  who  played  a  leading  part  in 
the  war  was  Gen.  Obrubcheff.  He  was  the  hero  of  a  hundred  desper- 
ate fights  in  the  Central  Asian  campaigns  and  enjoyed  a  greater  repu- 
tation for  personal  courage  than  probably  any  other  Russian  general. 

Gen.  Bobrikoff,  the  governor-general  of  Finland,  was  another  able 
commander,  but  he  had  a  reputation  for  extreme  harshness  and  even 
cruelty.  His  recent  administration  of  Finland  had  not  changed  that 
reputation.  He  was  credited  with  great  influence  in  the  council  of  state 
and  the  committee  of  ministers,  the  two  bodies  which  formulate  and 
execute  Russian  policy.  He  was  a  warm  friend  and  ally  of  his  old  com- 
rade, Gen.  Kouropatkin. 

Kouropatkin  himself  became  the  hero  of  the  Russian  army,  second 
only  to  his  great  leader,  Skobeleff,  who  died  in  1882,  by  his  bravery 
and  fine  generalship  at  the  capture  of  Geok  Tepe  in  1882. 

When  the  Russians,  balked  of  their  dreams  of  winning  Constanti- 
nople by  the  Berlin  congress,  were  making  their  great  swoop  through 


192  THE  GREAT  WAR  IN  THE  EAST. 

Central  Asia  to  the  gates  of  Herat,  Lord  Salisbury  told  the  British 
public  not  to  be  alarmed  for  the  safety  of  India.  "They  will  not  be 
able  to  conquer  the  Turcomans,"  he  declared.  "The  Turcoman  bar- 
rier will  last  for  our  life-time,  at  least." 

FAME  SULLIED  BY  SLAUGHTER. 

Gen.  Tergoukasoff,  the  Russian  commander  in  Central  Asia,  dis- 
agreed with  Lord  Salisbury.  He  told  the  Czar  that  the  Turcomans 
might  be  conquered  by  three  years'  hard  righting.  "That  is  too  long," 
said  the  Czar.  He  recalled  Tergoukasoff  and  sent  the  greatest  of 
modern  Russian  warriors,  Skobeleff,  to  command  the  troops.  Skobe- 
leff promptly  secured  Kouropatkin  for  his  chief  lieutenant  and  to- 
gether they  performed  in  a  few  weeks  the  task  which  the  British 
premier  declared  would  take  a  lifetime. 

Geok  Tepe,  the  great  stronghold  of  the  Turcomans,  was  carried 
by  assault  after  a  month's  siege.  The  brunt  of  the  attack  fell  on 
Kouropatkin,  who  commanded  a  contingent  of  light  troops  from 
Turkestan.  It  was  a  great  victory,  but  it  sullied  the  reputation  of 
both  the  Russian  leaders.  They  ordered  their  troops  to  give  no  quar- 
ter to  the  Turcomans  of  either  sex  and  all  the  horrors  usual  when  such 
orders  are  given  were  perpetrated,  over  14,000  being  slaughtered  in 
action  and  in  helpless  retreat. 


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A   BISHOP  BLESSING   REINFORCEMENTS   FOR  THE   FAR  EAST. 

In  the  Japanese- Russian  War,  Church  and  State  worked  hand  in  hand  to  inspire  the 
Russian  troops  with  confidence  and  valor.  The  final  start  for  the  far  East  was  never  made 
without  the  blessing  of  the  Church,  and  the  Czar  was  also  often  present  to  add  to  the 


impressiveness  of  the  scene. 


0'3> 


HUNTER  SCOUTS  IN  A  NIGHT  RECONNOITER 

The  hunter  or  night  scouts  formed  a  peculiar  branch  of  the  Russian  service.  Sixteen 
of  the  best  sharpshooters  were  selected  from  an  infantry  regiment  and  formed  into  a  bat- 
talion, commanded  by  one  or  more  officers.  They  were  for  special  night  service,  and  wera 
required  to  have  their  bayonets  always  fixed.  (95) 


TYPES  OF  RUSSIAN   AND  JAPANESE  SOLDIERS. 

At  the  left  are  the  Japanese  artillery,  cavalry,  and  infantry;  at  the  right,  the  Russian 
Cossack,  trooper,  and  artillerymen.  In  the  center  is  one  of  the  first-class  Russian  battle- 
ships, a  giant  of  the  line.  (97) 


TROOPS  STARTING   FROM    PORT  ARTHUR  TO   KOREA. 

At  the  beginning  of  the  war,  when  Viceroy  Alexieff  removed  his  headquarters  from 
Port  Arthur  to  Harbin,  some  of  the  garrison  troops  were  started  for  the  Korean  frontier, 
where  the  main  Russian  Army  was  massing.  They  are  seen  in  this  picture  marching 
through  the  main  street  of  Port  Arthur.  (41> 


RUSSIAN    LEGATION   GUARDS  ARRIVING   AT  SEOUL. 

Shortly  prior  to  the  opening  of  the  war  the  Russians  were  refused  permission  to  allow 
force  of  guards  to  go  by  rail  from  Chemulpo  to  the  Korean  capital,  for  the  ostensible  pur- 
>se  of  protecting  the  Russian  legation.     They,  therefore,  marched  on  foot,  and  are  here 


pose  ot  p 

seen  entering  Seoul. 


(17) 


CHAPTER  XIV. 
TORPEDO  WARFARE  OF  JAPAN. 

Japs  Study  Torpedo  Warfare  Closely — Inexpensive  Hornet  Can  Destroy  Millions — 
Terrors  Suffered  by  Crew — The  Modern  Mechanical  Fish — Close  View  of  the 
Death  Dealers — Cared  for  Like  Hospital  Patient. 

NOT  in  her  splendidly  equipped  army  nor  her  navy,  bristling 
with  guns,  lay  Japan's  principal  element  of  strength  when  the 
little  Red  Ant  turned  on  the  Great  Bear.  Her  chief  advan- 
tage lay  in  her  proximity  to  the  field  of  operations,  her  conveniently 
located  bases  of  supply,  the  wonderful  oriental  mobility  of  her  army, 
her  complete  preparedness,  the  tremendous  disadvantage  under  which 
her  enemy  labored,  and  greater  than  all  the  remarkable  proficiency  of 
her  men  with  that  hitherto  experimental  weapon — the  torpedo  boat. 
It  is,  therefore,  that  naval  novelty  that  will  first  be  considered. 

JAPS   STUDY  TORPEDO    WARFARE   CLOSELY. 

No  navy  has  more  persistently  devoted  itself  to  the  offensive  uses 
of  the  self-propelling  torpedo  than  that  of  Japan.  Its  drills  have 
been  constant.  Its  torpedo  craft  are  of  the  best — if  not  the  best — in 
the  world.  It  has  boats  which  can  make  thirty-one  knots  per  hour. 
It  had  eighty-six  of  them  of  all  classes,  with  eighteen  more  build- 
ing at  the  opening  of  the  war.  They  were  fitted  with  from  three  to 
six  torpedo  tubes  each. 

The  practice  maneuvers  for  years  had  taken  place  often  with  the 
entire  Japanese  fleet  mobilized,  and  during  these  every  kind  of  tor- 
pedo attack  had  been  rehearsed  again  and  again  with  oriental  minute- 

209 


2io  THE  GREAT  WAR  IN  THE  EAST. 

ness.  Over  all  a  rigid  censorship  had  been  maintained,  whereby, 
despite .  lynx-eyed  naval  attaches  and  the  keen  watchfulness  of  news- 
paper correspondents,  Japan  had  kept  her  secrets  to  herself,  and  merely 
let  it  be  known  that  the  efficiency  of  the  torpedo  flotilla  had  been 
keyed  up  to  the  last  limit  and  would  be  kept  there. 

INEXPENSIVE  "HORNET"  CAN  DESTROY  MILLIONS. 

That  torpedo  boats,  the  hornets  of  the  navy,  costing  only  about 
$300,000  each,  could  destroy  $4,000,000  and  $5,000,000  battleships 
and  escape  injury,  as  was  demonstrated  by  the  Japanese  in  the  attack 
on  the  Russian  fleet  at  Port  Arthur,  set  naval  officers  throughout  the 
world  to  thinking. 

"What's  the  use  of  battleships  and  protected  cruisers,"  laymen  asked 
themselves,  "when  these  little  boats  can  destroy  the  biggest  of  them?" 

Battleships  and  cruisers  are  as  great  a  necessity  for  torpedo  boat 
warfare  as  is  the  torpedo  boat  to  the  battleship  and  cruisers.  The 
swiftly  moving  little  torpedo  boat  frequently  must  seek  refuge  behind 
the  floating  fortresses  of  steel,  just  as  the  torpedo  boat  flotilla  is  ex- 
pected to  protect  the  battleship  and  cruiser  from  the  attacks  of  the 
torpedo  boats  of  the  enemy. 

The  first  naval  engagement  of  Japan  and  Russia  convinced  officers 
that  the  torpedo  boat  flotilla  of  a  navy  could  no  longer  be  regarded 
as  a  hindrance  and  bother. 

"The  most  destructive  instruments  of  war  today  are  the  torpedo 
boats  and  the  Whitehead  torpedo,"  declared  one  of  the  high  ranking- 
naval  officers  of  the  United  States.  "A  torpedo  boat  under  favor- 
able conditions,  and  favorable  conditions  frequently  arise,  can  do  more 
damage  by  the  discharge  of  one  Whitehead  torpedo  than  can  the 
expenditure  of  $1,000,000  worth  of  ammunition  in  such  a  contest  as 
was  fought  at  Santiago." 

LIFE    ON    THE    TINY    CRAFT. 

The  torpedo  boats  are  little  known  to  the  general  public.  There 
have  been  few  books  written  about  them  and  naval  officers  do  not, 
as  a  rule,  seek  assignments  to  them,  for  their  work  aboard  one  of 


TORPEDO  WARFARE  OF  JAPAN.         211 

these  little  destroyers  is  laborious,  uncomfortable  and  dirty  in  the 
extreme.  Officers  and  men  have  to  sleep  when  they  can ;  eat  when 
they  can,  but  be  ready  to  fight  at  every  minute  of  the  24  hours 
of  the  day  and  night. 

In  war  time  their  lot  is  even  worse  than  on  board  any  of  the  bat- 
tleships, cruisers,  or  even  of  the  little  gunboats.  Torpedo  boat  men 
and  officers  are  in  constant  peril  of  death  by  foundering,  explosion 
of  torpedoes,  collision,  the  breaking  in  half  of  the  boat,  and  a  hundred 
other  dangers,  not  to  mention  the  possibility  of  destruction  by  the  fire 
of  the  enemy,  for  the  torpedo  boat  is  thin-skinned,  and  can  be  pierced 
by  the  projectiles  of  the  small  caliber  guns. 

The  torpedo  boat  is  the  outcome  of  the  invention  of  the  Whitehead 
automobile  torpedo.  The  Whitehead  torpedo  has  been  brought  to 
a  state  of  perfection  undreamed  of  in  the  earlier  days  of  its  inven- 
tion. 

Originally  designed  to  be  fired  from  the  battleships  and  cruisers, 
experience  soon  taught  that  to  be  of  any  service  the  torpedo  must 
be  discharged  in  a  way  combining  the  maximum  of  effect  with  the 
minimum  of  risk. 

EVOLUTION   OF  THE  TORPEDO  BOAT. 

It  was  soon  demonstrated  there  was  no  possibility  of  a  battleship 
sneaking  up  to  the  fleet  of  an  enemy  and  discharging  its  torpedo  and 
escaping  without  subjecting  itself  to  the  combined  fire  of  the  entire 
fleet. 

Out  of  this  condition  came  the  torpedo  boat,  designed  to  combine 
great  speed  and  a  small  target  for  the  fire  of  the  enemy.  So  great 
has  the  improvement  been  that  the  modern  torpedo  boat  compares 
with  the  earlier  models  about  as  much  as  does  a  ferryboat  with  one 
of  the  latest  ocean  flyers. 

The  torpedo  boat,  to  be  effective,  must  have  speed  enough  to  dart 
in  among  the  fleet  of  an  enemy,  discharge  its  torpedo  and,  turning, 
show  a  clean  pair  of  heels.  The  modern  torpedo  boat  is  not  a  pretty 
thing  to  look  at.     It  is  the  modern  boat  which  resembles  "the  long, 


212  THE  GREAT  WAR  IN  THE  EAST. 

low,  rakish  craft"  of  fiction.  It  is  always  pretty  nearly  awash,  painted 
a  dirty  drab  color,  its  brass  fittings  are  never  polished,  and  there  is 
not  a  speck  of  white  paint  about  it. 

Since  1890  the  United  States  has  added  some  50  of  these  little 
boats  to  its  navy,  and  there  are  now  in  process  of  construction  many 
more.  During  recent  years  naval  officers  have  held  that  the  torpedo 
boat  was  not  worth  much,  but  this  has  changed  within  the  past  few 
years.  The  torpedo  boats  of  the  United  States  navy,  like  those  of 
Japan,  represent  the  acme  of  torpedo  boat  building.  These  two  coun- 
tries waited  until  the  other  governments  had  experimented  along 
various  lines  and  then  profited  by  their  successes  and  failures. 

JAPAN   ORDERS  THEM  IN   SCORES. 

As  late  as  1898  Japan  was  ordering  torpedo  boats  by  the  score  and 
has  perhaps  developed  this  branch  of  naval  tactics  more  than  any 
other  nation.  While  Japan  has  not  the  large  number  of  boats  that 
Russia  has,  its  boats  are  in  better  condition,  more  modern  and  much 
speedier  than  those  of  Russia. 

Now  practically  every  country  in  the  world  is  adding  torpedo 
boats  to  its  navy.  Because  of  the  small  cost  of  these  vessels  great 
numbers  have  been  ordered  by  most  of  the  governments. 

Little  opportunity  was  given  during  the  American  war  with  Spain 
to  test  torpedo  boats,  but  their  absolute  seaworthiness  was  shown  by 
those  brought  over  from  Spain  by  Admiral  Cervera  with  his  fleet.  The 
famous  trip  of  the  battleship  Oregon  from  the  Pacific  to  the  block- 
ading station  off  Santiago  came  very  nearly  not  being  made,  because 
of  the  fear  of  the  Spanish  torpedo  boat  Temeraro  on  the  western  coast 
of  South  America. 

In  addition  to  their  destructiveness  in  actual  operation,  the  mere 
presence  of  torpedo  boats  with  a  fleet  or  in  a  vicinity  is  a  constant 
menace  to  any  fleet  and  excites  the  greatest  fear  among  the  men-of- 
warsmen. 

The  torpedo  boats  of  the  United  States  navy  have  been  built  for 
service  and  not  for  looks.     Few  of  them  have  cost  over  $250,000  and 


TOPEDO  WARFARE  OF  JAPAN.  213 

many  of  them  less  than  $200,000  This,  of  course,  does  not  include 
the  armament.  Complete,  the  government  estimates  that  a  torpedo 
boat  costs  $300,000. 

These  torpedo  boats  have  from  two  to  three  18-inch  Whitehead 
torpedo  tubes  and  three  or  four  one-pounder  rapid-fire  guns.  These 
rapid-fire  guns  are  for  the  protection  of  the  torpedo  boats  when  at- 
tacked by  similar  craft  or  by  torpedo  boat  destroyers. 

HOW  A  TORPEDO  CR  \FT  IS  MANNED. 

Each  boat  carries  from  two  to  three  officers  and  a  crew  varying 
from  20  to  60  men.  The  larger  crews  are  carried  only  by  the  tor- 
pedo boat  destroyers,  which  are  in  reality  only  enlarged  torpedo  boats 
and  are  expected  to  perform  exactly  the  same  service.  The  destroy- 
ers offer  a  greater  target  to  the  enemy,  and  maneuvers  in  France  and 
England  have  shown  that  a  flotilla  of  torpedo  boats  can  not  only 
escape  from  the  destroyers,  but  can  frequently  capture  the  destroyers. 

There  is  a  great  opportunity  for  them  to  do  the  latter,  for  the  little 
boats  go  swinging  and  plunging  through  the  water  at  express  train 
speed.  The  result  is  that  the  boats  are  racked  not  only  by  the  tre- 
mendous and  powerful  engines,  but  by  the  waves  as  well.  The  sailor 
has  no  regular  hours.  He  goes  to  bed  pretty  much  as  he  pleases 
and  gets  up  when  it  is  his  turn  to  go  on  watch. 

Torpedo  boat  sailors,  and  even  the  officers  for  that  matter,  do  not 
present  the  spick  and  span  appearance  of  their  brethren  on  the  larger 
ships. 

They  have  a  contempt  for  the  bigger  ships  and  believe  that  the  tor- 
pedo boat  on  which  they  are  serving  could  whip  the  entire  navy.  Be- 
cause of  the  limited  space  aboard  these  little  vessels  the  men  off  duty 
do  not  have  the  enjoyment  of  those  aboard  the  larger  ships.  At  night 
the  officers  sleep  on  the  bunk  lockers  on  each  side  of  the  cabin  and  the 
crew  on  mattresses  or  hammocks  on  the  lower  deck.  Liquid  com- 
passes are  necessary  because  of  the  vibration  and  motion  of  the  boat. 

The  rations  aboard  a  torpedo  boat  are  the  same  as  those  served  on 
any  other  vessel  of  the  navy,  except  that  a  predominance  of  canned 


2i4  THE  GREAT  WAR  IN  THE  EAST. 

foods,  such  as  meats,  soups,  etc.,  are  furnished,  because  they  occupy- 
less  storage  room  and  are  more  easily  prepared.  It  is  no  easy  matter 
for  the  most  experienced  sea  cook  to  prepare  even  the  simplest  meal 
on  board  one  of  these  little  boats  when  the  commanding  officer  has 
run  "Full  speed  ahead." 

An  English  officer,  in  describing  his  sensations  at  sea  in  a  torpedo 
boat,  once  said:  "It  takes  two  men  to  eat  a  can  of  sardines;  one 
to  hold  the  can  and  the  other  to  eat." 

TERRORS  SUFFERED  BY  CREW. 

Sandwiches  form  an  important  adjunct  to  the  menu  of  the  torpedo 
boat  sailor  when  at  sea.  He  has  little  time  to  eat  anything  else,  even 
though  the  motion  of  the  vessel  would  permit  it.  Even  sleeping  in 
a  hammock  or  on  a  bunk  is  an  art  on  a  torpedo  boat.  No  sailor  ever 
gets  his  sea  legs  aboard  one  of  the  little  vessels,  for  he  is  likely  to  be 
seasick  at  almost  any  instant.  Some  of  the  older  sailors  of  the  navy 
who  have  forgotten  that  they  were  ever  seasick  look  like  a  man  making 
his  first  trip  after  a  few  hours  aboard  one  of  the  vibrating,  trembling 
little  boats. 

Lieutenant  Commander  Frank  F.  Fletcher,  U.  S.  N.,  commandant 
of  the  United  States  naval  torpedo  station,  whose  inventions  of  tor- 
pedo appliances  and  long  experience  with  these  dangerous  projectiles 
have  caused  him  to  become  recognized  as  one  of  the  ablest  torpedo 
officers  in  the  service  of  the  United  States,  is  an  enthusiast  in  the 
matter  of  the  efficiency  of  torpedoes  in  warfare,  and  a  lecture  he  de- 
livered at  the  United  States  Naval  War  College  upon  the  history  of 
the  use  of  torpedoes,  which  has  never  been  published,  is  of  especial 
interest. 

The  lecture  makes  a  record  of  every  attack  made  in  the  world 
with  torpedoes  from  the  time  of  the  civil  war  through  the  Russo- 
Turkish  campaign,  during  which  the  old  spar  torpedo  gave  way  to 
the  present  automobile,  down  to  the  very  beginning  of  the  present 
war  in  the  far  East.  It  is  perhaps  the  only  record  of  its  kind  in 
existence. 


TORPEDO  WARFARE  OF  JAPAN.         215 

There  are  recorded  in  his  files  fifteen  attacks  with  spar  torpedoes, 
which  were  attached  to  fast  launches  by  means  of  a  spar,  of  which 
Lieutenant  Commander  Fletcher  says  a  good  percentage  were  suc- 
cessful. Boats  engaged  in  these  attacks  in  which  three  hundred 
and  fifty  men  participated.  Nine  per  cent  of  the  boats  were  lost  and 
three  per  cent  of  the  men  were  killed.  On  the  other  hand,  six  ships 
were  sunk  and  three  damaged,  while  five  hundred  lives  were  lost. 
Sixteen  torpedoes  were  exploded,  forty-five  per  cent  of  which  proved 
fatal  to  the  ship  attacked. 

With  the  automobile  torpedo  nine  attacks  have  been  made,  and  of 
them  Lieutenant  Commander  Fletcher  has  summarized  as  follows : 
Five  hundred  men  took  part  and  the  loss  of  life  was  only  two  per 
cent.  Thirty-two  torpedoes  were  discharged,  and  nine  of  them  made 
hits,  sinking  eight  vessels,  the  percentage  of  hits  being  over  twenty- 
eight  per  cent. 

"Thus,"  says  Lieutenant  Commander  Fletcher,  "the  crucial  test 
of  war  shows  that  the  torpedo  within  its  range  is  more  accurate  than 
the  gun  in  battle." 

In  his  very  interesting  lecture  Lieutenant  Commander  Fletcher  goes 
into  details  in  the  matter  of  the  various  attacks.  Boat  attacks  with 
spar  torpedoes,  originating  in  the  civil  war,  covered  a  period  of  twenty 
years  and  were  employed  in  four  wars.  Attacks  with  the  auto- 
mobile torpedo  have  covered  about  the  same  period,  and  have  been 
also  employed  in  four  wars,  in  which  seven  nations  have  been  en- 
gaged. 

RESULTS  CAREFULLY  TABULATED. 

The  first  attack  with  a  spar  torpedo  was  made  against  the  Ironsides 
at  9  p.  m.  October  5,  1863,  while  the  vessel  was  lying  at  anchor  off 
Charleston.  The  Ironsides  was  severely  injured,  but  not  to  such  an 
extent  that  she  had  to  be  withdrawn  from  service. 

The  second  attack  was  made  on  the  Flousatonic,  four  months  later, 
also  off  Charleston.  It  was  moderately  dark,  and  the  Housatonic 
was  sunk,  with  a  loss  of  five  lives.  The  torpedo  boat  was  sunk,  with 
the  loss  of  nine  lives. 


216  THE  GREAT  WAR  IN  THE  EAST. 

The  third  attack  was  made  against  the  Memphis,  in  the  North 
Edisto  River,  at  i  a.  m.,  March  6,  1864.  The  attack  failed,  and 
the  torpedo  boat  escaped. 

The  fourth  attack  was  made  upon  the  Minnesota,  off  Newport 
News,  April,  1864.  Although  the  boat  had  been  seen,  she  succeeded 
in  exploding  her  torpedo  amidships  and  doing  much  damage.  The 
boat  and  her  crew  escaped. 

The  fifth  attack  was  made  upon  the  Wabash,  on  blockade  off 
Charleston,  in  April,  1864.  The  attack  was  discovered  and  aban- 
doned. 

The  sixth  attack  was  the  famous  case  of  the  Albermarle,  which 
occurred  in  October,  1864,  the  vessel  being  moored  in  the  Roanoke 
River.  It  was  the  event  that  made  Lieutenant  Cushing  famous.  The 
torpedo  boat  was  discovered,  but  she  pushed  on  through  a  very  severe 
fire.  The  torpedo  was  successfully  exploded  against  the  ship,  which 
was  sunk.  Of  the  crew  of  the  torpedo  boat  only  two  lost  their  lives, 
they  being  drowned. 

The  seventh  attack  was  made  by  the  Russians  against  Turkish 
vessels  in  the  Black  Sea,  in  May,  1877.  Torpedo  boats  fitted  with 
spar  torpedoes  failed  to  do  any  damage  and  escaped  without  loss. 

In  the  eighth  attack,  which  was  made  in  the  Danube  in  May,  1877, 
one  vessel  was  sunk  by  four  launches. 

In  the  ninth  attack,  which  was  made  off  the  mouth  of  the  Danube 
in  June,  1877,  although  participated  in  by  five  Russian  launches,  the 
ships  of  the  enemy  escaped  damage. 

The  tenth  attack  also  occurred  in  the  Danube,  in  June,  1877,  anc* 
was  also  a  failure.     It  was  attempted  in  daylight. 

The  eleventh  attack  was  also  a  broad  daylight  affair.  It  was 
made  by  two  boats  against  a  Turkish  monitor  in  the  Danube,  and 
was  a  complete  failure. 

The  twelfth  attack  took  place  in  the  Black  Sea  in  August,  1877, 
against  a  Turkish  fleet,  which  escaped  injury.  The  boats,  though, 
got  within  torpedo  range,  and  there  was  no  good  reason  why  the 
rliips  were  not  sunk. 


TOPEDO  WARFARE  OF  JAPAN.  217 

No  other  noteworthy  use  of  the  movable  mine  took  place  in  the 
Franco-Prussian  war  of  1871,  the  Russo-Turkish  war  of  1877,  or 
the  Chinese-French  war  of  1884,  although  in  this  period  the  "fish" 
torpedo  together  with  the  specially  contrived  and  fast  torpedo  boat 
from  which  to  project  it,  rapidly  developed. 

The  first  direct  test  of  the  modern  automobile  torpedo  against  a 
battleship  took  place  in  the  Bay  of  Valparaiso  during  the  Chilean 
revolution  of  1891,  when  the  Blanco  Encelada,  an  armored  Congres- 
sist  vessel,  was  sunk  with  her  entire  crew  of  120  men  by  the  Bal- 
macedist  torpedo  boat  Condell. 

The  second  attack  was  made  upon  the  Brazilian  battleship  Aquid- 
aban  in  1894  during  the  revolutionary  troubles,  but  is  of  little  im- 
portance in  view  of  the  wretched  defence,  and  the  fact  that  the  as- 
saulting craft  fired  three  torpedoes  at  ranges  of  100  and  75  "yards, 
and  only  succeeded  in  hitting  the  Aquidaban,  a  vessel  280  feet  long, 
at  a  distance  of  150  feet. 

japan's  first  use  of  torpedo  boats. 

.  The  third  and  far  more  important  effort  occurred  in  the  harbor 
of  Wei-Hai-Wei  nine  years  before  the  opening  of  hostilities 
between  Japan  and  Russia,  when  a  Chinese  squadron,  protected  by  a 
double  line  of  submarine  mines  and  other  obstructions,  was  bottled 
by  the  Japanese  fleet  under  Admiral  Ito.  Two  successive  attempts 
to  send  in  torpedo  boats  failed  through  the  alertness  and  energetic 
fire  of  the  Chinese.  On  the  third  occasion  seven  boats  effected  an 
entrance,  and  the  battleship  Ting  Yuen  was  promptly  sunk.  But 
of  the  assailants,  one  was  torn  to  pieces  by  a  well  placed  shell,  three 
went  aground,  two  smashed  their  propellers  on  the  rocks  and  the 
survivor  rejoined  the  fleet  unharmed,  but  with  her  captain  frozen 
to  death  in  his  conning  tower.  The  undaunted  Japs  attacked  again 
on  the  following  night,  and  sent  three  Chinese  ships  to  the  bottom. 

Exactly  how  the  Japanese  torpedo  attack  on  Port  Arthur  on  Feb. 
8  was  made  seems  to  be  somewhat  in  question.  That  the  Russians 
were     caught     unprepared — and   all   accounts   so   indicate — is  most 


218  THE  GREAT  WAR  IN  THE  EAST. 

astounding.  If  America  did  not  teach  anyone  how  to  use  torpedo 
boats  offensively  in  the  recent  war  with  Spain  she  certainly  provided 
the  world  with  elaborate  information  how  to  guard  against  them. 
The  reports  of  Russian  neglect  may  not  be  true — and  for  the  credit 
of  the  Russian  navy  it  is  to  be  hoped  they  are  not — but  if  they  are 
true,  somebody's  existence  probably  came  to  a  sudden  and  startling 
termination — a  just  punishment. 

CLOSE  VIEW  OF  THE  DEATH  DEALER. 

A  Whitehead  torpedo,  such  as  were  employed  by  Japan  in  this 
action,  is  a  cigar-shaped  object  made  of  steel  or  bronze  or  any  rust- 
resisting  metal,  21  inches  in  diameter  and  from  15  to  20  feet  in 
length.  The  "warnose"  is  on  the  blunt  end  of  the  "fish"  torpedo. 
This  is  the  end  that  strikes  the  ship  or  other  object,  and  by  means  of 
a  rod  driven  against  a  detonator  causes  the  explosion  of  the  200 
pounds  of  guncotton,  dynamite,  nitroglycerin  or  other  explosive  in 
the  chamber.  Behind  the  chamber  filled  with  the  explosive  is  a 
cylinder,  charged  with  compressed  air,  which  furnishes  the  motive 
power  for  the  propeller  of  the  torpedo.  Back  of  the  compressed  air 
cylinder  is  the  "balance  chamber,"  where  the  automatic  steering 
apparatus  is  located,  and  behind  this  is  the  engine  room. 

The  torpedo  is  fitted  with  four  rudders,  two  horizontal  and  two 
vertical,  which  are  for  the  purpose  of  keeping  the  torpedo  at  the 
proper  depth. 

The  torpedo  is  fired  from  the  bow  or  stern  of  a  vessel,  either  from 
a  submerged  tube  or  from  a  tube  on  deck.  The  torpedo  is  started 
by  being  blown  out  either  by  compressed  air  or  by  a  small  charge  of 
powder. 

A  torpedo  tube,  of  which  there  are  usually  three  on  a  torpedo  boat's 
deck,  is  a  huge  metal  pipe  open  at  one  end,  the  other  closed  by  a  door. 
Much  complicated  mechanism  is  necessary  to  fire  a  torpedo  from  a 
torpedo  boat.  The  sighting  and  everything  is  done  from  the  decks, 
although  the  tube  may  be  submerged  or  partially  submerged. 

The  deadly  mechanical  fish  dives  into  the  water  like  a  porpoise, 


TORPEDO  WARFARE  OF  JAPAN.         219 

adjusts  itself  to  the  desired  depth,  and  then  at  a  speed  of  thirty 
miles  an  hour  goes  straight  at  its  prey.  Its  effective  range  at  the 
present  time  is  about  1,500  yards,  but  experiments  in  our  own  navy 
have  proved  that  torpedo  boats  can  creep  as  near  as  400  yards  to  a 
ship  before  being  revealed  by  searchlights. 

After  the  torpedo  has  once  started,  there  is  no  known  defense 
which  an  attacked  vessel  can  interpose.  Nets  have  been  long  obso- 
lete; and,  in  fact,  cannot  be  used  when  a  ship  is  under  way.  The 
only  possible  safeguard  other  than  the  attacked  vessel's  quick-fire 
guns,  which,  of  course,  assumes  a  discovery  of  the  advancing  torpedo 
boats,  is  a  cordon  of  torpedo  boat  destroyers  maintained  around  a 
battleship  at  such  a  distance  as  will  enable  them  to  drive  off  or  de- 
stroy the  torpedo  boats  before  these  can  launch  their  torpedoes. 

Ships  actually  in  harbors  have  resorted  to  the  ancient  method  of 
a  heavy  chain  drawn  across  the  waterway,  as  Cervera  did  in  Santiago, 
but  this  will  only  be  effective  against  light  torpedo  boats,  so  that  it 
would  be  necessary  merely  to  send  a  heavier  vessel  against  it  in  the 
beginning  to  break  it  down  and  open  a  free  passage  for  them.  Mod- 
ern torpedo  progress  is  chiefly  in  the  direction  of  increasing  the  ef- 
fective range,  and  it  is  believed  at  the  present  time  that  before  long 
this  will  be  augmented  to  something  over  two  miles.  In  this  case 
the  difficulties  of  defense  by  ships  in  open  water  will  be  greatly  in- 
creased. The  late  John  Ericsson  always  maintained  that  "a  battle- 
ship is  nothing  but  torpedo  food,"  and  in  such  things  he  was  given  to 
good  judgment. 

CARED    FOR   LIKE   HOSPITAL   PATIENT. 

Every  torpedo  is  thoroughly  tested  before  it  is  placed  aboard  a 
torpedo  boat  and  frequently  thereafter  to  see  that  it  does  not  develop 
any  peculiarity  unknown  to  the  commanding  officer.  A  torpedo  has 
a  chart  which  is  kept  up  and  studied  as  zealously  by  the  commanding 
officer  of  the  torpedo  boat  as  is  the  chart  of  a  typhoid  fever  patient  by 
the  attending  physician. 

The  Whitehead  torpedoes  require  an  unusual  amount  of  care  be- 


220 


THE  GREAT  WAR  IN  THE  EAST. 


cause  of  the  delicate  mechanism.  A  Whitehead  torpedo  carries 
enough  explosives  to  blow  up  any  battleship  if  it  strikes  fair.  The 
torpedoes  cost  on  an  average  of  $5,000  each  and  the  United  States 
government  keeps  1,000  or  more  of  them  at  the  various  navy  yards. 
The  general  torpedo  depot  is  at  Newport. 

It  is  safe  to  assume  in  the  absence  of  access  to  the  carefully  guarded 
Japanese  naval  secrets  that  the  Japanese  system  differs  little  from 
that  of  the  United  States.  Physical  conditions  practically  guaranee 
that  to  be  the  case.  Of  course  methods  of  approaching  the  enemy 
differ.  Then,  too,  in  this  war  Japan  enjoyed  unusual  opportunities 
for  gathering  complete  detailed  information  concerning  the  enemy. 

It  is  certain  that  the  commanders  of  her  torpedo  boats  knew  the 
Russian. signal  code  and  used  it  to  the  bitter  cost  of  their  victims. 
So  much  for  this  important  feature  of  the  war. 


A  Case  of  Two  Heads  Better  than  One. 


^mir  fffCHmh 


CHAPTER  XV. 
JAPAN'S  NAVAL  POWER. 

Ready  to  Fight  Without  Pay— What  Warships'  Names  Mean— Poetry  in  Each- 
Pagan  Heroine  Honored — Love  of  Island  Home  Shown. 

THE  brilliant  naval  showing-  made  by  the  Japanese  navy  at  the 
beginning  of  the  war  indicates  that  the  whole  subject  of  offen- 
sive attack  had  been  elaborately  studied  and  worked  out  before 
hostilities  began.  No  more  impressive  argument  in  support  of  a  gen- 
eral staff  for  the  navy  has  ever  been  adduced.  The  Japanese  have  such 
a  general  staff  and  have  had  it  for  years.  Its  functions  are  not  differ- 
ent from  those  which  it  is  proposed  the  American  staff  shall  have.  It 
controlled  and  prescribed  all  the  maneuvers  described.  It  determined 
the  character  of  the  ships,  how  they  were  built,  where  obtained ;  and, 
on  the  whole,  the  Japanese  navy  as  it  stands  is  the  product  and  out- 
come of  the  established  general  staff. 

At  the  beginning  of  the  war  no  one  regarded  Japan  as  a  first  class 
power,  still  she  was  classed  with  Italy,  Austria  and  Turkey  and  ahead 
of  all  the  other  civilized  countries  except  the  United  States,  Great 
Britain,  France,  Germany  and  Russia.  She  had  been  quietly  plugging 
away  on  a  well  planned  and  definite  system  for  eight  years.  For 
two  years,  at  least,  she  had  been  preparing  for  this  very  struggle. 
In  that  she  was  wiser  than  Russia. 

japan's  wonderful  advancement. 

The  marvelous  valor  and  esprit  du  corps  of  her  men  in  the  Pekin 
campaign  startled  the  world.     The  shrewdness  and  tactical  ability  of 

221 


222  THE  GREAT  WAR  IN  THE  EAST. 

her  officers  opened  the  eyes  of  the  generals  of  the  other  forces,  in- 
cluding our  own.  All  of  this  means  something;  it  must  mean  that 
Japan  has  made  wonderful  strides  in  a  military  way  since  last  she 
was  in  the  limelight  of  the  God  of  War. 

Japan  has  had  the  best  of  tutors  and  she  is  the  best  of  students. 
Her  officers  and  men  possess  the  very  arrogance  of  confidence — con- 
ceit, critics  say — and  before  this  confidence  will  lose  its  upholding 
power  the  men  must  be  dead.  Her  leaders  were  wise  enough  to  know 
that  she  had  caught  Russia  afoul,  and  calculated  'on  no  let-up  in  a 
vigorous  campaign. 

Japanese  leaders  felt  that  the  boast  that  Russia  could  pour  500,000 
troops  into  Manchuria  with  their  supplies  was  pure  bluff.  They  cal- 
culated it  would  take  the  complete  machinery  of  the  Trans-Siberian 
Railway  four  months  to  carry  100,000,  and  that  it  would  exhaust 
the  resources  of  the  road  to  bring  war  supplies  for  the  men  then  in 
Manchuria  for  two  months  of  precious  time.  Japan  knew  that  the 
Russian  fleet  had  a  coal  supply  for  only  a  few  weeks  and  could  get 
no  more;  that  neither  the  Port  Arthur  nor  the  Vladivostok  squadrons 
could  get  out  alive ;  she  knew  that  she  had  prepared  to  blow  up  a  hun- 
dred bridges  and  culverts  of  the  great  feeding  road. 

The  collapse  of  the  northern  Colossus  at  the  touch  of  Ithuriel's 
spear,  in  the  hands  of  the  Mikado,  was  not  a  vision  to  be  accepted 
with  grace  by  the  military  lords  of  Europe,  save  those  whose  jealousy 
of  Russia  is  inherent.  From  the  latter  Japan  could  figure  on  ready 
loans.  Her  shipyards  and  facilities  for  making  hurried  naval  repairs 
were  the  finest  on  the  Pacific. 

READY  TO    FIGHT    WITHOUT   PAY. 

The  Japs  have  one  of  the  greatest  patriotic  armies  in  the  world; 
the  men  will  fight  without  pay  if  necessary.  The  men  could  live  on  a 
pound  of  rice  a  day,  while  the  Russian  soldier  required  meat  and 
other  things  to  go  with  it.  On  the  one  side  no  great  amount  of  camp 
equipage  was  necessary,  while  on  the  other  there  must  be  ten  pounds 
to  a  man.     The  Jap  docs  not  worry  about  clothes  and  he  figures  on 


JAPAN'S  NAVAL  POWER. 


223 


keeping  active  enough  to  make  up  for  cumbersome  uniforms.  With 
rice  and  all  kinds  of  cereals  in  great  quantities  on  hand,  as  well  as 
millions  of  pounds  of  canned  beef,  and  the  wide  ocean  open  to  get 
more,  what  feared  the  Jap  of  the  mighty  Russian  army? 

Japan  had  no  battleships  in  her  war  with  China  ten  years  before, 
but  her  cruisers  made  short  work  of  the  bigger  Chinese  ships  in 
the  Yalu  River  battle  and  at  Wei-Hai-Wei.  Since  then  she  had  built 
a  complete  fleet,  every  class  being  fully  represented  by  vessels  equipped 
in  the  best  known  and  latest  fashion.  At  the  opening  of  hostilities 
she  possessed  fourteen  first  class  modern  armored  ships,  six  being 
battleships  and  eight  large  cruisers,  the  latter  really  being  battleships 
in  disguise. 

The  following  table  affords  an  excellent  idea  of  the  character  of 
her  IT4  vessels,  requiring  31,379  officers  and  men  and  a  reserve  of 
6,267  : 


BATTLESHIPS. 

First  Class. 

Displacement, 
Name.  Tons. 

Mikasa    15443 

Matsusi    15*240 

Asahi 15,443 

Shikishima    15,066 

Yashima    I2,5!7 

Tuji    12,649 

Second  Class. 

Chin  Yen 7,335 

Tuso    ^777 

ARMORED    CRUISERS. 

Adsuma    9456 

Yakumo    9,800 

Iwate    9,906 

Idsumo    9,906 

Takiwa    9*655 

Asama    9,855 


PROTECTED    CRUISERS. 

Second  Class. 

Kasagi    4,978 

Chitose    4,836 

Itsukushinia    4,278 

Hashidate    4,278 

Matsuhima    4,278 

Takasago   4,227 

Yoshino    4,225 

Namwa   3'7°9 

Takashibo    3,709 

PROTECTED    CRUISERS. 

Third  Class. 

Akitsushima    3J72 

Idsumo 2,967 

Akashi    2,800 

Suma    2,700 

Chijoda    2,439 

Mitaka   3,420 

Tsushima 3,420 


224 


THE  GREAT  WAR  IN  THE  EAST. 


Otono    3'00° 

DISPATCH    BOATS. 

Miyako   i  ,800 

Yayeyama    1 ,609 

Chihaye   1,250 

Tatsuts    865 

COAST  DEFENSE  VESSELS. 

Saiyen    2,481 

Hiyei    2,284 

Kongo    2,284 

Tsukuba    i,978 

Takao    1,764 

Tanriu    1 ,647 

Katsuraki 1,502 

Yamato    1,502 

Kannon    1 ,367 

Musashi    1,502 

GUNBOATS. 

First  Class. 

Kei  Yen   2,185 

Tsukushi    1,372 

GUNBOATS. 

Second  Class. 

Amaki    926 

Banjo    667 

Oshima   640 

Akagi    622 

Atako    622 

Maya   622 


Chokai    622 

Sako    610 

Gunboats,  second  class,  old,  no 
fighting  value;  captured  from 
China;  each  447  tons — Chinto, 
Chinsei,  Chinnan,  Shinhoku, 
Shincha,  Chinpeu. 

TORPEDO  BOAT  DESTROYERS. 

Shiskumo    379 

Asashio    379 

Hamsame    375 

Murasame    375 

Akatuski    371 

Kasuma    371 

Ikatsuchi    371 

Inadsuma    3 1  t 

Okebono    311 

Sazanami    311: 

Oboro 311 

Shinonome    279 

Murakumo    279 

Yugiri    279 

Shiramu    279 

Kagoro    279 

Usugunu    279 

Asagiri    380 

Hayatori    380 

TORPEDO     BOATS. 

13 120-150 

36  80-90 

27  40-65 


WHAT   WARSHIPS     NAMES   MEAN. 


In  considering  the  strange  names  given  the  Japanese  vessels  it 
must  be  borne  in  mind  that  war  craft  and  vessels  of  commerce  have 
their  own  special  words  in  the  Japanese  tongue.  The  latter  class, 
from  the  big  ocean  liner  of  the  Nippon  Yusen  Kaisha  to  the  little 


JAPAN'S  NAVAL  POWER.  225 

trader  or  roofed-in  junk  going  around  the  islands,  bears  the  appella- 
tion of  "Maru."  This  word,  which  is  also  used  for  a  sword,  and 
for  the  white  and  red  flag  of  the  empire,  properly  meaning  a  "circle," 
is  always  tacked  on  to  passenger  or  trading  craft,  and  so  distinguishes 
them.  The  word  for  a  man-of-war,  from  the  superb  Mikasa  or  Fuji, 
is  "Gun-Kan."  But  the  Japanese  drop  the  epithet,  not  saying  or 
writing  "Mikasa-Gun-Kan,"  but  only  "Mikasa."  What  does  this 
signify?  Simply,  it  is  the  name  of  a  lofty  and  famous  mountain 
near  Nara,  in  the  Japanese  province  of  Yamato,  and  means  "the 
ridge  of  three  hats,"  its  summit  wearing  the  shape  of  the  umbrella- 
like headpiece  which  pilgrims  carry.  This  mountain  has  been  much 
celebrated  in  native  poetry. 

Take  next  the  battleship  Matsuse.  This,  again,  is  taken  from  a 
locality  much  praised  by  poets,  near  Nara,  and  quite  a  household 
word  among  the  people. 

POETRY  IN   EACH. 

Next  comes  to  mind  the  Asahi.  That  signifies  "the  morning  sun," 
which  luminary  is  at  once  an  object  universally  praised  and  rever- 
enced in  Japan,  as  well  as  being  the  symbol  and  national  badge  of 
the  empire.  It  is  "Asahi"  which  figures  in  blazing  scarlet  of  dawn 
on  the  standard  of  Dai  Nippon.  Shikishima  is  yet  another  synonym 
for  the  land  of  the  rising  sun,  frequently  employed  in  poetry.  There 
is  need  of  little  explanation  of  the  title  bestowed  on  the  sister  bat- 
tleship, Fuji.  Everybody  knows  how  central  and  integral  a  factor 
in  Japanese  art  and  life  is  that  beautiful  and  stately  mountain  rising 
so  proudly  from  the  Pacific  waves  which  bathe  its  feet,  and  how 
that  lovely  and  wonderful  peak  soars  into  the  southern  clouds,  eter- 
nally crowned  with  a  glittering  diadem  of  snow. 

Yashima,  enrolled  on  the  catalogue  of  the  chief  naval  line,  recalls 
the  story,  not  of  a  mountain,  but  of  a  famous  battlefield  on  the 
coast  of  Sanuko,  where  the  great  combat  befell  between  Heishi  and 
Henji. 

In  the  name  of  Hiyei,  a  coast  defense  boat,  we  come  back  to  cele- 


226  THE  GREAT  WAR  IN  THE  EAST. 

brated  hills,  while  another  similar  craft  of  the  Mikado's  fleet  wears  the 
name  of  Kongo,  the  "diamond"  hill  in  Kawashi,  associated  with 
the,  strong  and  splendid  years  of  a  bygone  dynasty.  One  armored 
cruiser  is  called  Iwate,  from  a  fertile  province,  while  Idsumo  brings 
to  every  Japanese  mind  the  sacred  spot  where  Susanoo-no-Mikoto 
alighted  when  expelled  from  heaven  for  his  sins. 

PAGAN     HEROINE    HONORED. 

Another  armored  ship  bears  the  familiar  title  of  Adsuma,  the 
appellation  of  a  whole  district  beyond  Hakone  to  the  eastward.  And 
was  it  not  so  called  because  of  Adsuma,  faithful  and  famous  wife  of 
Yamato-dakeno  Mikoto?  Crossing  the  sea  to  lead  his  army,  the 
hero  was  overtaken  by  a  storm,  in  which  he  would  have  perished  but 
for  the  devotion  of  his  beautiful  wife.  Believing  that  the  god  of  the 
sea  had  been  incensed,  and  would  not  be  pacified  except  by  the  loss 
of  some  life  precious  to  Japan,  she  resolved  to  immolate  herself  in 
order  to  propitiate  the  deity,  and  therefore,  wrapping  her  body  in  her 
robe  of  gold  and  scarlet,  plunged  into  the  furious  billows  and  was 
drowned.  As  she  sank  out  of  the  reach  of  those  who  would  have 
saved  her,  if  possible,  by  the  surrender  of  their  own  lives,  the  sea 
became  almost  immediately  tranquil,  and  Yamato-dakeno  safely 
landed  and  defeated  the  enemies  of  his  country.  Ever  since  then  all 
those  regions  have  borne  the  name  made  noble  by  this  self-immola- 
tion of  the  Japanese  princess,  so  that  a  ship-of-war  may  also  proudly 
bear  it. 

LOVE   OF   ISLAND   HOME   SHOWN. 

Among  the  "protected"  class  you  will  observe  Chitose,  meaning 
a  thousand  years,  a  word  of  prosperity;  Kasagi,  a  spot  famous  in 
Japanese  history,  belonging  to  Yamashiro ;  Takasago,  a  place  much 
praised  by  poets  for  its  exquisite  scenery,  on  the  sea  coast,  nenr 
Akashi ;  Akitsushima,  a  notable  appellation,  for  it  signifies  "the 
dragon  fly,"  the  accepted  badge  of  the  whole  archipelago. 

It  will  thus  be  seen,  even  by  so  brief  a  survey,  that  the  Japanese 
carry  ardent  love  of  their  own  beautiful  land  out  upon  the  element 


JAPAN'S  NAVAL  POWER. 


227 


which  surrounds  it,  upon  the  flags  and  nameboards  of  their  ships  of 
war,  making  the  mountains,  the  flowery  plains,  the  blossoming  groves, 
and  the  sparkling  streams  of  Dai  Nippon  points  of  recollection,  loyalty 
and  patriotism  for  the  sailor  as  well  as  for  the  soldier  and  the  citizen. 
Broadly  speaking,  the  big  ships  have  been  christened  after  great 
mountains,  and  their  smaller  sisters  from  some  well  known  natural 
feature  of  the  country. 


ENGLAND— "You  take  'im  by  the  horns  and  I'll  catch  'im  by  the  tail." 


MARS— "KEEP  COOL,  DOGS;  THEY'RE  BOTH  IN  THE  POT!" 

The  Dogs  of  War,  both  Army  and  Navy,  are  waiting  for  their  grewsome  meal  which  Mars  s 
preparing.     Russia  and  Japan  are  boiling  In  the  pot. 


CHAPTER  XVI. 
JAPAN'S  LAND  FORCES. 

Japanese  Leaders  Reviewed— Yamagata  Had  Rapid  Rise— Negotiated  Troublesome 
Treaty— Swept  Chinese  Away— How  Jap  Soldiers  Are  Rewarded— All  Re- 
garded as  Heroes. 

AS  against  Russia's  mighty  but  distant  army  Japan  had  only 
273,268  men  to  throw  into  the  field,  made  up  as  follows :  In- 
fantry, 147,160;  cavalry,  9,700;  artillery,  24,130;  engineers, 
7,840;  transport,  7,960;  reserves,  76,478. 

This  army  was  made  up  of  men  ranging  from  17  to  40  years  old, 
the  age  limitations  governing  conscription  in  Japan.  The  army  of 
opposing  Russians  ranged  from  22  to  44  years  old,  the  figures  repre- 
senting the  conscription  limitations  of  Russia.  The  respective  pop- 
ulation of  the  contending  countries  presents  a  strange  contrast. 
Russia,  with  its  enormous  territory,  boasting  only  64,616,280,  while 
the  population  of  little  Japan  footed  up  44,260,606. 

The  generals  who  led  the  Japanese  armies  against  Russia  were 
men  who  had  proved  their  skill  and  efficiency.  They  had  seen  actual 
service  and  fought  over  the  very  ground  where  they  met  the  Rus- 
sians. 

JAPANESE  LEADERS  REVIEWED. 

The  first  on  the  list  in  order  of  service  was  Field  Marshal  Yama- 
gata, not  only  first  in  rank,  but  easily  first  in  the  esteem  of  the  Japa- 
nese public  and  in  the  judgment  of  the  government.  He  was  a  veter- 
an of  many  wars,  having  begun  service  in  the  struggle  that  restored 

the  emperor  to  power  in  1868.    In  the  following  year  he  visited  Rus- 

229 


230  THE  GREAT  WAR  IN  THE  EAST. 

sia  and  France,  studying  things  military.  In  1872  he  became  as- 
sistant secretary  of  war — a  position  which  in  Japan  is  always  held 
by  a  general  officer  of  the  army.  In  the  following  year  he  was  made 
lieutenant  general  and  two  years  later  secretary  of  war. 

The  next  year  saw  Japan  in  the  throes  of  a  fierce  civil  war.  The 
rebellion  was  led  by  her  greatest  soldier,  Field  Marshal  Saigo,  who 
had  with  him  some  50,000  of  her  best  trained  samurai.  The  gov- 
ernment was  compelled  to  put  forth  its  greatest  strength.  An  imperial 
prince  was  appointed  to  the  nominal  command,  but  as  chief  of  staff 
Yamagata  was  the  real  general  in  chief  and  led  the  forces  which 
crushed  the  rebellion.  Saigo  having  been  slain,  Yamagata  became 
the  first  military  man  in  the  empire  and  was  promoted  to  the  full 
rank  of  general. 

YAMAGATA    HAD    RAPID    RISE. 

Being  a  man  of  great  mental  ability,  boundless  energy  and  strong 
personality,  he  soon  became  almost  as  prominent  in  the  political  world 
as  in  the  military,  and  shared  with  Marquis  Ito  the  position  of  greatest 
influence  with  the  Emperor.  He  was  several  times  prime  minister 
and  when  not  in  that  position  always  held  some  portfolio  in  the 
cabinet.  He  never  ceased  his  active  share  in  the  development  of  the 
army.  Through  various  official  positions,  such  as  inspector  general, 
chief  of  the  general  staff  and  secretary  of  war,  he  kept  himself  in 
close  touch  with  all  parts  of  the  army  organization. 

When  war  started  with  China  in  1894  Yamagata  was  immediately 
given  command  of  the  first  army  that  invaded  Manchuria.  Those 
who  were  with  the  army  at  the  time  describe  the  immense  enthusiasm 
with  which  the  coming  of  the  great  general  was  greeted  by  his  sol- 
diers. The  rigors  of  a  Manchurian  winter  speedily  reduced  Yama- 
gata to  such  a  condition  that  the  Emperor,  fearful  of  losing  alto- 
gether the  service  of  his  ablest  officer,  called  him  back  to  Tokyo  to 
act  as  his  chief  military  adviser. 

NEGOTIATED    TROUBLESOME    TREATY. 

After  the  war  Yamagata  was  made  a  marquis  and  the  new  military 


JAPAN'S  LAND  FORCES.  231 

rank  of  field  marshal  was  established,  to  which  he  was  promoted. 
The  active  interference  of  Russia,  backed  by  France  and  Germany, 
which  deprived  Japan  of  the  fruits  of  her  victory,  led  the  govern- 
ment to  try  to  come  to  some  understanding  that  would  preserve  the 
independence  of  Korea.  Yamagata  was  appointed  special  ambassa- 
dor for  this  purpose  and  proceeded  to  St.  Petersburg,  where  he 
effected  the  treaty  which  was  the  basis  of  Japan's  ante- war  demands 
upon  Russia.  Not  trusting  altogether  to  this,  Japan  proceeded  to 
double  her  army  and  greatly  increase  her  navy.  Several  officers  were 
promoted  to  the  rank  of  field  marshal  in  the  army  and  an  equal  rank 
in  the  navy  and  organized  into  a  supreme  council  of  war. 

Of  this  Yamagata  was  made  chief.  Considering  the  season  of 
the  year  and  the  fact  that  he  was  over  65  years  old  and  rather  frail 
physically,  it  was  improbable  that  he  would  take  the  field  in  person, 
but  would  occupy  much  the  same  place  in  war  that  Von  Moltke  did 
in  the  Franco-Prussian  conflict. 

FIELD    MARSHAL   OYAMA. 

Dividing  this  honor  and  responsibility  with  him  was  Feld  Marshal 
Oyama,  associated  with  him  in  the  council  of  war.  Oyama  has 
steadily  risen  in  the  military  organization  of  Japan  with  Yamagata, 
and  if  the  latter  has  been  the  Emperor's  right-hand  man  Oyama  has 
been  his  left.  Like  Yamagata,  he  began  his  career  in  the  war  of  the 
restoration.  In  1872  he  was  promoted  major  general  and  sent  to 
Europe,  where  he  spent  three  years  studying  military  science.  Re- 
turning in  1875,  he  was  made  vice  minister  of  war.  He  added  much 
to  his  reputation  by  his  skilful  conduct  of  operations  in  the  rebellion 
of  the  great   Saigo. 

In  1879  he  was  promoted  lieutenant  general.  Two  years  later  he 
was  made  minister  of  war.  In  1883  he  became  chief  of  the  general 
staff.  From  this  time  until  the  outbreak  of  the  war  with  China  he 
occupied  various  positions  in  the  cabinet,  usually  minister  of  war. 
In  1890  he  was  made  full  general — a  rank  then  held  only  by  himself 
and  Yamagata.     When  war  started  he  was  looked  upon  as  certainly 


232  THE  GREAT  WAR  IN  THE  EAST. 

as  Yamagata  to  command  one  of  the  armies.  Accordingly  he  was 
given  the  command  of  the  second  army  of  invasion.  Being  five  years 
younger  than  Yamagata  and  more  robust,  he  proved  fully  equal 
physically  to  the  task,  and  conducted  the  extensive  campaign  that 
resulted  in  the  capture  of  the  two  great  Chinese  strongholds — Port 
Arthur  and  Wei-hai-Wei.  Both  positions  were  considered  impreg- 
nable. 

SWEPT   CHINESE  AWAY. 

The  mathematical  precision  with  which  Oyama  conducted  the 
operations  and  the  gallantry  with  which  he  took  redoubt  after  re- 
doubt, until  finally  he  swept  into  the  great  fortress  itself  excited  the 
admiration  of  experts,  naval  and  military.  Crossing  the  Gulf  of 
Pe-Chee-Lee  with  an  army  of  30,000  men,  he  swept  the  Chinese 
forces  out  of  Wei-hai-Wei  with  the  greatest  apparent  ease,  and  with 
the  aid  of  the  navy  cooped  up  the  Chinese  fleet  within  the  harbor, 
where  it  was  quickly  destroyed  or  captured.  Oyama,  therefore,  re- 
turned from  the  war  full  of  honors,  was  made  a  marcus  and  promoted 
with  Yamagata  to  the  special  rank  of  field  marshal.  Oyama  is  noted 
for  his  genialty,  his  calmness  under  trying  circumstances  and  his 
studious  character. 

GENERAL  NODZU. 

After  Yamagata  and  Oyama  the  most  conspicuous  military  man  in 
Japan  is  General  Nodzu,  who  succeeded  Yamagata  in  the  command 
of  the  first  army  of  1894-95.  Like  the  others,  he  began  his  career 
in  the  war  of  the  restoration,  in  which  he  served  as  captain.  Five 
years  later,  at  the  age  of  30,  he  had  reached  the  rank  of  colonel.  In 
1876  he  visited  the  United  States,  attending  the  centennial  exposition 
and  making  a  study  of  our  military  system.  In  connection  with  the 
latter  he  took  part  in  an  Indian  campaign.  Pie  returned  to  Japan 
just  in  time  to  take  part  in  the  civil  war  inaugurated  by  Saigo.  Pro- 
moted major  general  and  given  command  of  the  Second  brigade,  he 
rendered  particularly  brilliant  service.  In  1886,  in  company  with 
General  Oyama,  he  made  an  extensive  tour  of  military  inspection  in 
Europe  and  America. 


JAPAN'S  LAND  FORCES.  233 

Upon  his  return  he  was  promoted  lieutenant  general  and  placed 
in  command  of  the  Fifth  division.  When  war  started  with  China 
this  was  the  first  division  to  take  the  field.  A  mixed  brigade  was 
sent  over  and  beat  the  Chinese  at  Ulsan,  in  southern  Korea.  Shortly 
after  this  Nodzu,  with  the  remainder  of  the  division,  arrived  and, 
finding  that  the  enemy  had  concentrated  a  force  of  some  20,000  men 
at  the  famous  stronghold  of  Phyng-Yang,  in  northern  Korea,  he 
moved  rapidly  against  it  and  crushed  it  in  battle.  Another  division 
was  now  sent  over  to  join  him  and  the  two  divisions,  together  about 
45,000  strong,  became  the  first  army  of  invasion,  of  which  Yama- 
gata  took  command. 

With  this  army  Yamagata  crossed  the  Yalu  river  and  invaded 
Manchuria,  but  as  related,  his  health  failing,  he  was  soon  forced 
to  return  to  Japan,  whereupon  Nodzu  was  given  the  command  and 
promoted  to  the  full  rank  of  general.  In  a  very  tedious  and  difficult 
winter  campaign  he  pushed  his  way  across  the  southern  part  of  Man- 
churia, driving  the  Chinese  before  him  and  beating  them  whenever 
he  could  come  in  touch  with  them  until  he  reached  New-Chwang, 
where  a  great  battle  terminated  the  campaign. 

HOW    JAP    SOLDIERS    ARE    REWARDED. 

For  his  conduct  in  this  war  General  Nodzu  was  decorated,  made  a 
count,  pensioned  and  honored  in  various  ways.  With  the  enlarge- 
ment and  reorganization  of  the  army  the  country  was  divided  into 
three  grand  military  divisions,  eastern,  middle  and  western,  and  Gen- 
eral Nodzu  has  had  command  of  the  eastern.  Although  60  years 
old,  he  is  still  in  active  command. 

Next  in  order  come  the  lieutenant  generals  most  conspicuous  in  the 
Korean  and  Manchurian  campaign.  The  first  of  these  undoubtedly 
is  General  Katsura,  who  became  prime  minister  of  the  empire.  He 
is  a  man  of  great  ability  and  energy  and  a  thoroughly  trained  soldier. 
He  was  20  years  old  at  the  time  of  the  restoration  and  served  as  a 
staff  officer.  He  did  so  well  that  he  was  rewarded  with  a  sword  of 
honor  and  a  pension.    It  was  only  natural  that  so  promising  a  young 


234  THE  GREAT  WAR  IN  THE  EAST. 

soldier  should  be  one  of  those  chosen  to  go  abroad  to  study,  and  in 
1870  he  was  sent  to  Germany,  where  he  studied  for  three  years. 
Returning  in  1873,  ne  took  Part>  with  the  rank  of  major,  in  the  ex- 
pedition sent  to  chastise  Formosa. 

BRAVERY   IS   RECOGNIZED. 

On  his  return  he  was  designated  military  attache  to  the  legation 
in  Germany,  where  he  remained  for  several  years.  Upon  his  return 
he  was  made  lieutenant  colonel  and  appointed  director  of  the  army 
intelligence  bureau.  Being  a  man  of  great  capacity  for  work,  he  was 
also  made  a  member  of  the  committee  for  the  investigation  of  the 
coast  defense  works  and  also  given  the  political  post  of  chief  secre- 
tary of  the  cabinet.  That  he  should  have  held  all  these  offices  at  once 
is  a  high  tribute  to  his  ability.  In  1882  he  was  promoted  colonel.  In 
1884  he  traveled  in  Europe  on  a  tour  of  military  inspection,  returning 
the  year  following.  He  was  now  made  major  general  and  entered  the 
war  department  as  director  of  the  general  affairs  bureau. 

In  1886  he  became  vice  minister  of  war.  In  1891  he  received  the 
rank  of  lieutenant  general  and  took  command  of  the  Third  division. 
In  the  war  with  China  he  was  ordered  to  Korea,  where  his  division, 
together  with  the  Fifth  division,  constituted  the  first  army  and  did 
brilliant  service  in  Manchuria.  Indeed  Katsura  was  General  Nodzu's 
right  arm  in  that  campaign. 

Upon  his  return  he  was  decorated,  made  a  viscount  and  given  a 
life  pension.  Later  on  he  was  promoted  to  the  rank  of  full  general. 
He  was  then  appointed  governor  general  of  Formosa,  a  position  of 
mixed  civil  and  military  duties  that  made  it  similar  to  the  same  office 
in  the  Philippines.  Some  time  later  he  resigned  this  post  to  enter 
the  cabinet  as  secretary  of  war.  Later,  at  a  time  of  particular  politi- 
cal stress,  he  was  invited  by  the  emperor  to  form  a  cabinet,  and  he 
succeeded. 

FITTED   FOR   COMMAND. 

As  prime  minister  he  has  displayed  such  skill  and  tact  that  he  is 
still  in  power,  having  remained  in  office  an  unusually  long  time.     Ow- 


JAPAN'S  LAND  FORCES.  235 

ing  to  his  great  abilities,  military  skill  and  minute  knowledge  of 
Manchuria,  gained  in  actual  warfare,  and  his  physical  vigor,  being 
only  56  years  old — ten  years  younger  than  Yamagata  and  five  years 
younger  than  Oyama  and  Nodzu — General  Katsura  was  the  man 
best  fitted  to  map  out  the  campaign  against  Russia. 

Next  in  military  achievement  are  Sakuma,  who  commands  the 
middle,  or  Kurogi,  who  commands  the  western  grand  military  di- 
vision, or  Oku,  who  commands  the  Tokyo  army  of  defense.  These 
are  the  next  in  succession,  sharing  with  Nodzu  and  Katsura  the  rank 
of  full  general.  They  all  commanded  divisions  in  the  first  or  second 
army  during  the  war  with  China. 

Much  was  expected  by  Japan  also  from  Major  General  Fukushima, 
who  commanded  the  Japanese  forces  at  the  battle  of  Tien-Tsin  during 
the  "boxer"  troubles  and  whose  skill  excited  the  admiration  of  the 
foreign  experts.  Fukushima  has  spent  much  time  in  Russia  and 
Manchuria  and  is  an  authority  on  the  subject.  Besides  Kodama  and 
Fukushima  there  is  a  group  of  officers  who  were  major  generals 
during  the  war  with  China  and  who  either  in  command  of  brigades 
or  in  some  staff  position,  proved  their  skill  on  many  a  hard-fought 
field.  Most  of  these  now  command  divisions.  Among  these  are 
Lieutenant  General  Nogi,  whose  work  was  particularly  brilliant  in 
the  taking  of  Port  Arthur  and  in  the  later  advance  on  New-Chwang. 
After  the  war  he  was  made  a  baron,  promoted  to  his  present  rank 
and  for  a  time  was  governor  general  of  Formosa. 

Besides  Nogi  there  is  Yamaguchi,  who  was  the  lieutenant  general 
in  command  of  the  division  which  marched  on  Pekin  during  the 
"boxer"  trouble.  There  is  also  Lieutenant  General  Terauchi,  who 
was  promoted  to  be  secretary  of  war;  also  Lieutenant  Generals  Nishi, 
Oseko,  Okubo,  Inouve,  Ilachimi  and  the  two  Oshimas.  These  names, 
while  they  sound  strange  to  American  ears,  are  familiar  to  every 
schoolboy  in  Japan,  who  cherishes  in  his  heart  the  memory  of  their 
brave  deeds,  together  with  some  words,  acts  or  incidents  in  their 
lives  which  illustrate  their  character,  their  bravery,  love  of  country 
and  devotion  to  their  sovereign. 


THE  FAR  EAST—THE  PEACE  CURTAIN  IS  STUCK!  RUN  FOR  YOUR  LIVES!"      * 

Thisc  artoon  Is  In  remembrance  of  the  terrible  Iroquois  Theater  fire  of  December  30,  caused  by 
the  catching  of  the  asbestos  curtain.     War  is  seen  issuing  forth  from  the  opening 


CHAPTER  XVII. 
RUSSIA'S  MIGHTY  RAILROAD 

Stretches  Quarter  Distance  Around  the  Globe— Figures  on  Equipment— The  Secret 
Chinese  Road— Government  Was  Victimized— Work  Started  by  Czar— Strong 
American  Sentiment — Railroad  Loses  Vast  Sum. 

PASSING  reference  has  already  been  made  to  the  great  Trans- 
Siberian  railroad  and  the  world  well  understood  what  an 
important  factor  it  was  in  the  mighty  drama  of  the  v/ar. 
Experts  who  had  traveled  on  the  line  declared  that  it  would  not  stand 
the  strain  of  a  continued  struggle.  Undoubtedly  in  certain  aspects 
the  railway  appears  very  faulty,  but  the  enormous  mileage  probably 
accounts  for  some  of  the  laxity  in  construction. 

The  track,  a  single  one,  is  such  that  only  17.7  miles  an  hour  can  be 
covered  by  the  light  express  trains  in  Siberia  and  in  Manchuria  11.1 
miles  an  hour  is  the  highest  rate  of  speed  commensurate  with  safety. 
The  line  has  numerous  sidings,  but  these  are  not  sufficient  to  prevent 
congestion  when  great  pressure  is  put  on  the  system.  The  most 
interesting  and  vital  portion  of  the  great  4,000  mile  railway  is  the 
passage  of  Lake  Baikal,  which  has  already  been  fully  described. 
Parts  of  the  area  have  never  been  plumbed.  It  is  surrounded  by  some 
of  the  hardest  mountains  which  a  railway  engineer  could  encounter. 
The  official  plan  included  a  railway  around  the  southern  end  of  Bai- 
kal, but  this  was  not  finished  when  needed  most.  Instead  connection 
was  made  by  means  of  a  steam  ferry  which  was  built  in  England, 
taken  to  the  shore  of  the  lake  in  parts,  and  put  together  on  the  scene 
of  operation. 

33Z 


238  THE  GREAT  WAR  IN  THE  EAST, 

The  steam  ferry  has  three  lines  of  rail  upon  the  main  deck  to  carry 
one  passenger  and  two  freight  trains  across  the  lake.  With  this  load 
the  ferry  was  designed  to  crush  its  way  through  three  feet  of  ice  at 
a  speed  of  thirteen  knots  an  hour.  A  screw  at  the  bow  with  a  separ- 
ate engine  sucks  away  the  water  from  underneath  the  ice,  which 
thus  breaks  by  its  own  weight.  This  ferry  and  ice  crusher  proved 
useless  during  the  coldest  part  of  winter,  when  the  ice  was  thickest. 
The  propellers  at  the  stern  force  the  vessel  through  the  broken  ice 
sheets.  The  actual  track  covered  by  the  ferry  measures  thirty-nine 
miles.  There  is  a  harbor  and  lighthouse  at  the  western  end  of  the 
lake,  but  there  is  no  dock  where  the  ferry  could  be  repaired  in  case 
of  need. 

After  passing  the  lake  the  railroad  winds  through  the  Yablonoi 
hills,  reaching  an  altitude  of  3,311  feet,  with  one  tunnel  270  yards 
in  length  through  the  hills.  After  passing  the  Manchurian  frontier 
the  line  crosses  the  Khingan  range  by  a  zig-zag  railway  pending  the 
completion  of  a  tunnel  1,900  yards  in  length  now  in  course  of  con- 
struction. After  descending  from  the  hills  to  a  high  plateau  the  line 
runs  through  the  northern  part  of  Manchuria  to  Harbin. 

FIGURES  ON   EQUIPMENT. 

The  line  bifurcates  at  this  point,  the  southern  branch  running  479 
miles  by  way  of  Mukden  to  Port  Arthur,  with  a  branch  to  Niuch- 
wang.  Connection  with  Pekin  will  be  made  in  a  short  time  by  a 
branch  line  now  in  course  of  construction.  The  other  branch,  with  its 
terminus  at  Vladivostok,  after  leaving  Harbin,  continues  480  miles, 
in  a  course  a  little  north  of  east,  to  the  terminus  at  the  port. 

The  following  table  contains  facts  of  interest  about  the  great  Rus- 
sian railway : 

Stations  completed 390 

Railway  employes  :4738 

Locomotives   75 J 

Passenger  coaches    548 

Freight  cars    7743 


RUSSIA'S  MIGHTY  RAILROAD.  239 

Mail  cars 33 

Siberian  mileage  3.559 

Manchurian  mileage   1,144 

Traffic  in  1899  (tons) 639,000 

Moscow  to  Irkutsk  (days) 8 

Irkutsk  to  Manchuria  (hours)    74 

Across  Manchuria  to  Port  Arthur  (hours) 77 

Vladivostok  to  London  (7,092  miles),  (days) 17.5 

STRETCHES   QUARTER   DISTANCE  AROUND   THE   WORLD. 

The  American  transcontinental  lines  were  built  to  further  com- 
merce. The  Canadian  Pacific  was  designed  for  commercial  purposes 
first  and  secondarily  for  military  reasons.  The  Russian  railroads 
across  Asia  are  first  military  and  imperial,  and  a  long  way  after  that 
to  develop  the  land.  The  strategic  motive  in  building  6,000  miles  of 
an  unusual  (five  feet)  gauge,  single  track  line  is  illustrated  by  the 
history  of  a  railroad  whose  very  existence  Russia  intended  to  conceal. 

THE  SECRET    CHINESE  ROAD. 

Before  the  completion  of  the  line  that  runs  across  Manchuria  from 
the  main  and  original  Siberian  road  through  Harbin  to  Port  Arthur 
and  Vladivostok,  the  secret  policy  of  St.  Petersburg  demanded  a 
straight  line  to  Pekin.  It  is  known  that  a  concession  for  such  a 
railroad  was  obtained  from  China  in  1898.  It  was  intended  to  run 
across  the  desert  of  Gobi  to  Kalgan,  a  point  in  the  great  wall  of  China, 
close  to  Pekin. 

This  road  never  was  openly  built,  and  all  but  the  diplomats  forgot 
the  scheme. 

It  is  possible  that  Wirt  Gerrare,  the  writer,  was  not  an  agent  of 
British  diplomacy,  but  he  rendered  his  home  government  a  service 
of  value  in  his  Asiatic  investigation.  He  determined  to  see  what  was 
to  be  seen  in  Manchuria,  and  finding  that  Englishmen  were  turned 
back,  where  other  travelers  were  allowed  to  pass  freely,  he  disguised 
himself  and  went  everywhere. 


240  THE  GREAT  WAR  IN  THE  EAST. 

The  Boxer  uprising  showed  the  Russians  an  easier  route  to  Pekin 
than  the  caravan  track  across  the  desert  from  Kalgan  to  Kiakata. 
Scandinavian  missionaries  in  Mongolia,  fleeing  to  the  Russian  lines, 
showed  the  Russians  a  way  that  hardly  needed  surveying,  from 
Khailar  along  the  west  slopes  of  the  lofty  Khingan  range  of  moun- 
tains. 

"This  branch,"  Mr.  Gerrare  wrote  in  December,  1902,  "is  being 
built  with  all  possible  speed  as  a  purely  strategic  railway  having  Kal- 
gan as  its  objective." 

LABOR   SECRETLY   PURSUED. 

The  Russians  took  amazing  precautions  against  discovery.  They 
drove  the  Chinese  out  of  the  whole  country  to  be  traversed.  Foreign- 
ers allowed  to  pass  along  the  declared  route  of  the  Eastern  Chinese 
railway  were  watched  to  see  that  they  did  not  stumble  upon  this  new 
line.  Some  Englishmen,  permitted  to  hunt  in  the  Altai  mountains, 
were  "steered"  away  from  it. 

"It  was  purely  by  accident,"  Mr.  Gerrare  says,  "that  I  saw  this 
line  and  the  construction  trains  bound  south  passing  over  it.  It  was 
useless  for  me  to  attempt  to  follow  the  line  to  the  railway  head,  but 
I  was  able  to  get  some  information." 

Near  Khailar,  on  the  trunk  line  of  the  great  Siberian  road,  650 
miles  north  of  Pekin,  the  strategic  line  turns  off,  skirts  a  lake,  crosses 
the  River  Khalka  and  winds  its  way  south  along  the  high  plateau  of 
the  Khingan  mountains  to  Khalgan,  sixty  miles  west  northwest  of 
Pekin. 

The  track,  Air.  Gerrare  says,  follows  the  surface  contour  and  there 
has  been  little  attempt  at  finding  a  level,  the  sleepers  being  laid  on 
top  of  the  turf,  wherever  this  is  sufficiently  even,  without  being  im- 
bedded in  the  soil.  The  embankments  and  cuttings  were  unimportant 
and  the  line  was  hardly  more  than  the  kind  railway  contractors  put 
down  for  their  construction  trains. 

The  Trans-Siberian  railroad  has  often  been  described  as  a  great 
railroad,  which  it  is  not,  instead  of  a  great  enterprise,  which  it  is. 


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RUSSIA'S  MIGHTY  RAILROAD.  257 

Six  thousand  miles,  girdling  a  quarter  of  the  world,  even  of  five 
foot  gauge  single  track,  and  poorly  laid,  is  a  vast  deal  to  do  at  all. 
The  rails  are  but  fifty- four  pounds  to  the  yard. 

GOVERNMENT    WAS   VICTIMIZED. 

The  government  was  simply  plundered  in  the  construction.  There 
are  tales  like  those  in  the  history  of  the  American  achievement.  It 
is  not  very  long  ago  that  railroads  in  the  United  States  thought  sixty 
pound  rails  good  enough  till  they  could  get  better. 

As  planned  originally  the  Trans-Siberian  railroad  was  to  run  to 
Irkutsk,  the  Siberian  capital,  and  Lake  Baikal,  just  east  of  it.  Then 
the  track  was  to  skirt  the  southern  end  of  Lake  Baikal,  thence  to 
Stretensk  (Stretyinsk)  at  the  head  of  navigation  on  the  Amur  river, 
and  follow  that  stream  to  the  point  where  it  turns  suddenly  northeast, 
at  Khabarovsk;  from  this  point  the  railroad  runs  to  Vladivostok. 

WORK    STARTED    BY    CZAR. 

The  first  barrowful  of  earth  was  dug  and  trundled  at  Vladivostok 
by  the  then  Czarevitch,  now  the  Czar,  on  May  19,  1891.  The  divi- 
sion to  Khabarovsk  was  completed  first.  The  lines  from  Moscow  to 
Irkutsk  and  from  the  eastern  shore  of  Lake  Baikal  to  Stretensk  has 
made  the  rail-and-water  route  complete  to  the  Pacific.  The  railroad 
from  Stretensk  to  Kharbarovsk  never  has  been  built. 

The  traveler  sees  many  things  that  make  him  smile  at  the  Russian 
as  a  "railroader." 

One  is  that  on  great  stretches  of  the  line  no  water  tanks  have 
been  provided.  The  locomotive  takes  on  an  extra  tender — a  flat  car 
with  huge  tubs  filled  with  water.  At  some  tanks  the  water  has  to  be 
pumped  from  a  source  half  a  mile  distant.  The  locomotives  are 
wood  burners,  built  by  the  Baldwin  Locomotive  works  in  Phila- 
delphia. 

STRONG   AMERICAN    SENTIMENT. 

This  Trans-Baikal  country  looks  toward  America.  Desperately 
inadequate  inns  are  named  "New  York  Hotels,"  and  things  to  eat 
are  sold  at  the  refreshment  shops. 


258  THE  GREAT  WAR  IN  THE  EAST. 

Further  east,  in  Manchuria,  the  rails  are  from  Maryland  rolling 
mills,  and  down  on  the  Harbin-Port  Arthur  stretch  one  welcomes  the 
familiar  screech  of  a  Philadelphia  built  locomotive,  of  an  out-of-date 
model  so  far  as  America  is  concerned  but  giving  the  slow  moving 
train  once  more  the  "feel"  of  a  "Cannon-ball  Limited." 

RAILROAD  LOSES  VAST  SUM. 

The  railroad  doesn't  pay  and  will  not  for  many  years.  Outside  of 
military  traffic,  only  66,000  passengers  were  carried  in  1898  and  56,- 
000  in  1899.  The  Boxer  troubles  increased  the  business  in  1900.  Of 
freight  there  was  584,000  tons  in  1898  and  639,000  tons  in  1899. 

The  "fixed  charges"  for  interest  amount  to  $17,000,000  a  year. 
The  actual  gross  receipts  for  1899  were  only  $8,500,000  and  the  oper- 
ating expenses  were  $10,000,000. 

Almost  any  railroad  in  the  United  States  can  show  more  traffic 
and  more  revenue,  but  the  defect  in  proportion  to  the  business  is  sur- 
passing. 

The  road  does  not  run  through  a  desert.  It  is  fine  farming  land  for 
the  most  part,  and  immigrants  are  pouring  in  to  take  up  the  land. 
One  of  these  days  the  railroad  will  be  a  great  system  and  the  coun- 
try as  well  settled  as  is  Kansas. 

Of  the  whole  population  of  Siberia,  the  convict  and  political  exile 
element  is  settled  mostly  in  eastern  Siberia.  The  total  number  exiled 
in  seventy-five  years  up  to  1898  was  908,266. 


CHAPTER  XVIII. 
MIGHTY  MEN  OF  JAPAN. 

The  Work  of  the  Magician  of  the  Far  East— Sacrifices  of  Japan's  Lords— No  Simi- 
lar Event  in  History— The  Passing  of  Old  Traditions— Destiny  Foretold— 
Called  the  Bismarck  of  Japan— Spencer  Would  Keep  Foreigners  at  Arm's 
Length. 

O  no  man  in  the  empire  is  Japan  under  such  a  great  debt  of 
gratitude  as  to  the  Emperor,  Mutsuhito,  who  is  frequenty  re- 
ferred to  as  "the  mikado-magician  of  the  far  East."  He  has 
proved  himself  the  man  for  the  hour,  equal  in  all  respects  to  the  gi- 
gantic task  of  creating  a  great  nation  from  a  somewhat  heterogeneous 
mass  of  people  scarce  emerged  from  the  darkness  of  barbarism.  Just 
as  long  as  Japan  has  a  place  in  the  world  his  name  must  live  on  the 
roll  of  the  world's  great  men. 

It  was  not  given  to  many  of  the  great  world  figures  who  made  his- 
tory and  founded  empires  to  sow  the  seed  and  watch  the  harvest 
gathered  in.  England  toiled  painfully  through  the  centuries,  through 
war  and  revolution,  now  suffering  long  oppression,  now  beating  down 
its  kings,  out  of  the  long  night  of  feudalism  into  the  freedom  which 
she  has  spread  throughout  the  earth.  But  to  one  man  in  the  world 
it  has  been  given  to  find  a  nation  bound  and  to  set  it  free,  to  ascend 
a  feudal  throne  and  to  base  it  firm  upon  the  people's  will. 

THE  WORK  OF  THE  MAGICIAN  OF  THE  FAR  EAST. 

Mutsuhito  has  brought  Japan  to  Europe.  It  is  almost  as  if  he  had, 
by  a  stroke  of  the  magic  wand,  transformed  the  England  of  the  con- 

259 


2(5o  THE  GREAT  WAR  IN  THE  EAST. 

queror  into  the  England  of  today.  Half  a  thousand  years  seem  to 
have  slipped  by  forgotten  in  the  generation  which  Mntsuhito  has 
reigned. 

Time  and  history  seem  both  to  be  playing  tricks  when  we  think 
of  the  rise  of  Japan.  The  things  which  should  be  centuries  old  are 
only  thirty  years,  and  almost  on  the  same  page  we  find  prime  min- 
isters and  feudal  lords.  There  are  men,  and  men  not  very  old,  who 
remember  when  for  a  Caucasian  to  set  foot  in  Japan  was  a  perilous 
thing,  when  Japan  was  to  all  the  world  as  a  closed  book,  which  none 
had  dared  to  open.  Then,  across  the  vast  distance,  came  the  rumblings 
of  a  storm,  the  dim  message  of  a  mighty  change,  and  Europe  knew 
that  Mutsuhito,  a  young  man  in  an  old  country,  the  youngest,  per- 
haps, of  all  the  rulers  in  the  world,  had  broken  down  the  power  of 
centuries,  swept  aside  all  but  a  thousand  years  of  custom,  and  laid 
the  foundations  for  a  new  Japan. 

THE   WORK    OF   A   NIGHT. 

It  was  the  work,  as  it  were,  of  a  night.  In  a  short  war  the  shogun, 
the  dynasty  which  had  ruled  Japan  for  700  years,  was  overthrown  and 
the  dynasty  which  through  all  the  centuries  had  ruled  Japan  in  name 
now  ruled  in  fact.  That  was  in  1868,  when  Mutsuhito  was  16,  and 
it  seems  an  incredible  thing  outside  a  novel  that  a  youth  in  his  teens 
should  lead  a  kingdom  out  of  Egypt  into  the  promised  land.  Yet  all 
that  is  modern  and  powerful  in  Japan  has  come  into  being  since  the 
Emperor  was  if>,  and  in  his  short  life  is  bound  up  all  the  strange 
change  which  has  made  Japan  the  hope  of  the  East  today. 

SACRIFICES    OF    JAPAN'S    LORDS. 

Even  now  there  are  times  when  Japan  looks  rather  like  a  picture 
in  a  fairy  book  than  a  country  on  the  map.  But  there  were  won- 
derful things  for  the  world  to  see  in  Japan  when  we  were  young. 
Such  things  as  men  had  rarely  looked  upon  were  there  to  gaze  upon 
when  Japan  drew  up  its  blinds  and  threw  open  its  doors  to  all  the 
continents.     Great  nobles  gave  up  their  lands  and  castles  to  the  state. 


MIGHTY  MEN  OF  JAPAN.  261 

The  feudal  lords,  heads  of  great  families  which  had  ruled  Japan  1,000 
years ;  the  sword  bearers,  who  had  fought  her  battles  and  preserved 
her  fame  in  war,  laid  their  very  homes  and  incomes  on  the  altar  of 
the  new  Japan.  Two  hundred  landed  lords  gave  up  their  estates  to 
the  emperor  who  was  building  up  a  kingdom  which  could  have  no 
room  for  other  lords  than  he.  No  such  laying  down  of  rank  and 
power  had  been  seen  since  the  nobles  sacrificed  their  privileges  in  the 
national  assembly  of  France  eighty  years  before. 

NO  SIMILAR  EVENT  IN   HISTORY. 

It  was  an  event,  this  surrender  of  their  glories  by  a  proud  nobility, 
which  somebody  has  said  "throws  into  the  shade  the  achievements 
of  Peter  the  Great,  the  reforms  of  Joseph  II  and  even  the  French 
revolution  itself."  It  was,  at  least,  a  sight  which  neither  gods  nor 
men  had  seen  more  than  once  or  twice  since  the  gentlewomen  of 
Florence  flung  their  rings  and  bracelets  on  Savonarola's  bonfire  of 
vanities. 

But  Savonarola  himself  could  hardly  have  changed  the  whole  life 
of  a  nation;  we  know  how  his  kingdom  fell.  And  there  were  crises 
and  storms  in  Japan,  with  revolts  against  the  new  regime  and  risings 
of  the  old,  and  once  when  the  streets  of  Japan  ran  with  Japan's  best 
blood  the  tragic  close  of  30,000  lives  marked  forever  this  parting  of 
the  ways  between  east  and  west. 

THE    PASSING   OF  OLD   TRADITIONS. 

Nor  was  it  easy  for  the  emperor  to  deprive  of  their  lost  privilege 
all  the  lords  who  had  magnanimously  laid  down  the  rest.  Yet  so  small 
a  thing  as  the  wearing  of  a  sword  came  necessarily  to  be  forbidden 
and  slowly  the  old  tradition  and  picturesqueness  of  life  in  Japan  passed 
away  before  the  nation's  eyes.  Japan  was  loth  to  let  it  pass.  We 
like  to  remember  that  story  of  the  wife  of  a  Japanese  ambassador  who 
was  attended  by  a  leading  physician  in  Vienna.  She  had  a  bed  such 
as  any  great  lady  in  Vienna  might  sleep  upon,  but  in  it  the  physician 
found  a  board  upon  which  she  really  lay,  and  hidden  in  the  soft 


262  THE  GREAT  WAR  IN  THE  EAST. 

pillows  lay  the  old-fashioned  head  rest  common  in  the  old  Japan. 
How  hard  it  is  to  let  the  habits  of  a  lifetime  go ! 

HARD    TO    LAY    ASIDE   LIFELONG    CUSTOMS. 

"Among  all  the  innovations  of  the  era,"  a  great  authority  on  Japan 
has  told  us,  "the  only  one  that  a  Japanese  could  not  lay  aside  at  will 
was  the  new  fashion  of  dressing  his  hair.  He  abandoned  the  queue 
irrevocably,  but  for  the  rest  he  lived  a  dual  life.  During  hours  of 
duty  he  wore  a  fine  uniform,  shaped  and  decorated  in  foreign  style. 
But  so  soon  as  he  stepped  out  of  office  and  off  parade  he  reverted  to 
his  own  comfortable  and  picturesque  costume. 

"Handsome  houses  were  built  and  furnished  according  to  western 
models.  But  each  had  an  annex  where  alcoves,  verandas,  matted 
floors  and  paper  sliding  doors  continued  to  do  traditional  duty.  Beef- 
steaks, beer,  'grape  wines,'  knives  and  forks  came  into  use  on  oc- 
casion.   But  rice  bowls  and  chopsticks  held  their  place  as  of  old." 

Japan  had  grown  old  in  the  old  paths  and  now,  thirty-five  years 
after,  there  are  those  who  tread  them  still. 

MARQUIS   ITO,  THE  BISMARCK  OF  JAPAN. 

Now  comes  Japan's  greatest  commoner,  outshining  all  with  whom 
this  work  has  dealt — Marquis  Ito.  In  the  East  they  call  him  the 
"Bismarck  of  Japan." 

In  framing  the  crucial  correspondence  that  precipitated  the  war 
Marquis  Ito  played  an  important  part,  having  been  the  Emperor's 
personal  advisor  from  day  to  day. 

Perhaps  the  most  interesting  estimate  of  this  great  Oriental  states- 
man is  found  in  the  following  ruminations  written  by  Stephane  Lau- 
zanne  upon  reading  of  the  beginning  of  hostilities : 

A    REMARKABLE    CHARACTER. 

"As  I  read  that  dispatch  the  face  of  the  foreign  statesman,  the  most 
remarkable  that  the  last  century  has  produced  in  the  Orient,  came 
vividly  before  my  memory.  Again  I  beheld  its  deep  wrinkles  in  brow 
and  cheek ;  its  eternally  stereotyped  smile,  disclosing  the  pointed  white 


MIGHTY  MEN  OF  JAPAN.  263 

teeth  between  the  blanched  lips;  the  extraordinary  keenness  of  the 
eyes  that  looked  out  through  gold-bowed  spectacles ;  and  especially  the 
prodigious  and  disturbing  quickness  of  the  glances  that  sought  and 
found  and  recorded  whatever  was  of  interest  to  the  mind  that  con- 
trolled them. 

"It  was  three  years  ago,  in  a  London  salon,  that  I  met  him;  and 
there  we  had  a  long  talk.  Today  I  have  discovered  the  brief  notes 
I  had  then  jotted  down  in  my  journal. 

DESTINY    FORETOLD. 

"As  he  told  me  the  story  of  his  political  career  I  felt  as  if  I  were 
turning  the  pages  of  some  Oriental  story  of  Haroun  al  Raschid.  He 
was  20  years  old  when  he  first  took  office  under  his  country's  govern- 
ment. The  old  Mikado,  Komei  Tenno,  made  him  his  friend  and  one 
morning  summoned  him  to  the  palace.  'You  have,'  said  he,  'the 
making  of  a  statesman,  and  perhaps  you  are  destined  to  become  the 
prime  minister  of  Japan,  but  to  this  end  you  must  give  yourself  a 
broad  education.     Especially  you  must  understand  Europe.' 

OFF    TO    STUDY    ENGLAND. 

"At  the  expense  of  the  imperial  treasury  Ito  was  dispatched,  in 
company  with  another  distinguished  Japanese  gentleman,  Count 
Inouye,  on  a  journey  to  England.  There  he  remained  15  months 
studying  English  and  the  institutions  of  Great  Britain ;  he  observed 
men  and  affairs  and  ships — ships  most  of  all..  At  the  end  of  the  15 
months  he  returned  to  the  Orient  and  threw  himself  headlong  into 
the  war  in  which  Japan  was  then  involved.  On  his  way  home  he 
left  the  passenger  steamer  and  enlisted  as  a  simple  sailor  on  board  a 
man-of-war;  took  part  in  the  naval  battle  that  was  fought  beneath 
the  walls  of  Simonsaki,  and  then,  still  in  sailor's  dress,  negotiated 
with  the  foreign  powers  in  the  name  of  his  Emperor.  He  was  22  years 
old. 

"When  the  treaty  of  peace  was  signed  he  was  made  Governor  of 
TTvogo,  and  in   1868,  at  the  age  of  28,  he  was  made  Minister  of 


264  THE  GREAT  WAR  IN  THE  EAST. 

Finance.  Then  followed  cabinet  after  cabinet  and  ministerial  com- 
bination after  ministerial  combination,  without  reference  to  Ito.  Later, 
however,  he  was  seven  times  made  minister  and  four  times  President 
of  the  Council. 

AMERICA   NEXT. 

"One  day  the  young  Emperor,  Mutsuhito,  had  Ito  called  to  him, 
and  addressed  him  in  almost  the  same  words  which  his  father, 
Komei  Tenno,  had  used:  'You  are  a  great  minister,  but  you  must 
still  inform  yourself  more  broadly.  My  father  sent  you  to  study 
Europe;  I  am  going  to  send  you  to  study  America.' 

"So,  always  at  the  expense  of  the  imperial  treasury,  Ito  set  out  to 
learn  about  the  United  States.  As  a  result  of  this  investigation  he 
brought  back  the  outlines  of  a  constitution  for  Japan.  Of  this  let  him 
speak  for  himself : 

"  Tt  was  by  no  means  an  easy  thing  to  make  a  constitution  for  a 
country  which  had  never  so  much  as  heard  of  parliamentary  govern- 
ment. I  had  no  model  to  guide  me  in  all  our  history,  and  it  was 
necessary  to  build  soundly  for  the  future.  I  tried  to  forget  all  the 
constitutions  of  all  the  Western  nations  and  to  frame  one  which 
would  be  as  adaptable  to  Oriental  peoples.  I  asked  myself  how  Bud- 
dha would  have  acted  under  the  circumstances  and  what  Confucius 
would  have  done  if  he  had  been  required  to  establish  a  parliamentary 
regime,  and  I  flatter  myself  that  I  succeeded  pretty  well  in  getting 
into  their  skins;  for  my  constitution  has  worked  beautifully  for  20 
years,  and  no  efforts  have  been  made  to  modify  it  in  the  slightest 
particular.' 

SOURCE   OF    HIS    SUCCESS. 

"This  man,  who  is,  perhaps,  a  rather  clumsy  joker,  had  nevertheless 
profound  political  convictions,  and  when  he  spoke  of  the  duties  of 
a  party  leader  his  voice  assumed  the  inflections  of  a  genuine  eloquence: 
'A  political  party,'  said  he,  'must  be  really  a  guide  for  the  masses, 
and  to  that  end  it  must  begin  by  maintaining  a  strict  discipline  and 
a  perfect  order  within   its  own  ranks.     Its  chief  rule  must  be  the 


MIGHTY  MEN  OF  JAPAN.  265 

maintenance  of  an  absolute  devotion  to  the  higher  interests  in  its 
country,  and  it  must  particularly  avoid  giving  office  to  mediocre  indi- 
viduals who  have  no  other  claim  to  preferment  than  their  political 
affiliations.'  Japan,  you  see,  not  only  exports  beautiful  vases,  but 
equally  beautiful  moral  precepts. 

CALLED   BISMARCK. 

"Full  of  honors  and  of  years,  Marquis  Ito  went  into  retirement 
from  public  life.  His  countrymen  gave  him  the  sobriquet  of  'Bis- 
marck,' and  the  Emperor,  who  four  times  called  him  to  preside  over 
the  councils  of  the  ministry,  asked  him  to  preside  over  the  councils  of 
the  elder  statesmen — councils  where  all  the  old  servants  of  the  coun- 
try and  all  the  past  glories  of  the  empire  were  summoned  together, 
and  at  which  it  was  decided  what  part  the  nation  was  to  play  in  her 
hour  of  anxiety  and  trouble." 

SPENCER   WOULD   KEEP    FOREIGNERS  AT   ARM'S   LENGTH. 

A  philosopher  is  not  necessarily  a  hero.  At  least,  there  are  limits 
to  a  philosopher's  heroism.  Herbert  Spencer  did  not  fear  to  aim 
slings  and  arrows  which  struck  Christianity  in  places  both  high  and 
tender;  but  when  his  convictions  ran  counter  to  English  imperial 
policy,  and  to  the  self-complacency  of  the  British  people,  he  closed 
his  utterance  with  these  words : 

"I  give  this  advice  in  confidence.  I  wish  that  it  should  not  transpire 
publicly,  at  any  rate  during  my  life,  for  I  do  not  wish  to  rouse  the 
animosity  of  my  fellow-countrymen." 

DEATH    BREAKS   SILENCE. 

The  utterance  which  saw  the  light  only  after  Mr.  Spencer's  death 
broke  the  seal  of  silence,  deals  with  the  national  policy  of  Japan. 
Briefly,  he  advised  Japan  to  have  as  little  as  possible  to  do  with 
Europeans  and  Americans,  to  continue  her  ancient  policy  of  exclusive- 
ness,  to  undo  all  that  she  has  done  since  she  embraced  European 
ideas  more  than  thirty  years  ago.  The  advice  was  communicated  to 
Baron  Kentaro  Kaneko,  who  regretfully  made  it  public. 


266  THE  GREAT  WAR  IN  THE  EAST. 

Baron  Kaneko  was  among  the  foremost  of  the  Japanese  intellects 
which  welcomed  the  dawning  intelligence  that  came  with  European 
contact.  He  graduated  at  Harvard,  and  later  served  continuously 
in  responsible  governmental  positions,  being  recognized  to  this  day  as 
the  most  confidential  lieutenant  of  Marquis  Ito.  In  1890,  the  question 
arose  whether  Japan  should  continue  in  what  is  known  in  interna- 
tional law  as  an  extra-territorial  status,  or  should  enter  freely  into 
the  family  of  nations  on  the  same  basis  as  others,  giving  to  foreigners 
the  same  rights  as  to  natives.  Baron  Kaneko  strongly  favored  the 
latter  policy  as  being  in  line  with  the  steps  already  taken  by  Japan 
toward  modern  standards.  The  matter  was  to  be  decided  by  the  In- 
stitute of  International  Law  at  Geneva  in  1892,  and  Baron  Kaneko's 
interest  in  the  new  policy  led  him  to  secure  an  appointment  to  advocate 
it  at  Geneva. 

SOUGHT   GREAT  ENGLISH    PHILOSOPHER. 

Like  all  the  leaders  of  Japan's  dawning  intelligence,  who  saw  in 
science  the  basis  of  all  progress,  Baron  Kaneko  was  thoroughly 
familiar  with  the  writings  of  Darwin,  Mill  and  Spencer.  He  be- 
lieved that  Spencer  would  as  a  matter  of  course  favor  the  liberal 
status  of  Japan,  and  one  of  his  earnest  hopes  in  connection  with 
the  trip  to  Geneva  was  that  he  might  see  Spencer,  and  enlist  his  aid. 

Baron  Kaneko  left  Japan  and  came  by  way  of  America  to  renew 
some  of  his  Harvard  associations.  While  in  Cambridge  he  asked 
his  friend,  the  late  Professor  John  Fiske,  to  give  him  a  letter  of 
introduction.  The  story  of  how  lie  finally  came  to  have  confidential 
relations  with  Mr.  Spencer  has  been  told  by  Baron  Kaneko  himself. 

Mr.  Fiske  demurred  to  the  request  for  a  letter  of  introduction. 
He  spoke  of  the  philosopher's  retiring  habits,  and  of  the  strong  proba- 
bility that  such  a  letter  would  merely  expose  its  bearer  to  rebuff,  as 
had  been  the  case  in  several  previous  instances.  But  Baron  Kaneko, 
willing  to  take  the  risk,  urged  the  writing  of  the  letter.  This,  how- 
ever, he  did  not,  on  reaching  England,  carry  direct  to  Spencer's  resi- 
dence. He  enclosed  it  in  a  covering  epistle  which  set  forth  the  writer's 
hopes  and  his  reasons  for  entertaining  them. 


MIGHTY  MEN  OF  JAPAN.  267 

The  reply  was  immediate.  Spencer  invited  Baron  Kaneko  to  visit 
him  at  his  house,  and  the  first  interview  lasted  two  hours.  The 
visitor  found  that  his  host  had  collected  a  quantity  of  matter  relating 
to  Japanese  history,  politics,  manners,  customs  and  religious  beliefs, 
and  very  soon  Baron  Kaneko  was  undergoing  an  exhaustive  cross- 
examination  about  the  meaning  of  this,  the  relations  of  that,  or  the 
significance  of  the  other. 

Herbert  Spencer  expressed  the  keenest  satisfaction.  It  transpired 
that  he  had  been  vainly  seeking  intelligible  solutions  of  many  Japa- 
nese problems,  to  which  Baron  Kaneko  now  furnished  the  key.  To 
prolong  the  conversation  he  drove  Baron  Kaneko  to  the  latter's  hotel 
en  route  for  an  appointment  of  his  own  elsewhere,  and  at  parting  he 
announced  his  intention  of  proposing  his  Japanese  acquaintance  for 
honorary  membership  of  the  Athenaeum  club,  "where,"  said  Spencer, 
"I  generally  lunch  every  day,  and  we  can  have  many  opportunities  of 
meeting  and  talking." 

CLOSE  FRIENDSHIP  FOLLOWED. 

The  program  was  carried  out.  Very  soon  Baron  Kaneko  received 
a  notice  of  membership,  accompanied  with  an  invitation  to  lunch  with 
the  philosopher  next  day.  That  was  the  beginning  of  very  intimate 
relations,  maintained  subsequently  by  correspondence. 

After  a  few  visits  Baron  Kaneko  brought  up  his  hope  that  Japan 
would  take  the  liberal  step  and  open  her  arms  freely  to  foreigners. 
He  broached  this  subject  to  Mr.  Spencer,  confidently  looking  to  find 
encouragement,  approval  and  assistance.  Instead,  he  found  dissent 
and  dissuasion. 

SPENCER  RECOMMENDED  COMPLETE  ISOLATION. 

For  any  Oriental  nation  desiring  to  preserve  its  independence 
and  its  integrity,  the  philosopher  recommended  the  largest  possible 
measure  of  isolation  from  the  Occident,  and,  where  isolation  was 
not  completely  attainable,  then  the  preservation  of  any  system,  such 
as  extra-territoriality,  which  might  contribute  to  restrict  intercourse. 


268 


THE  GREAT  WAR  IN  THE  EAST. 


In  vain  Baron  Kaneko  expounded  the  spirit  of  the  policy  adopted  by 
Japan  at  the  time  of  the  Restoration  (1867)  ;  explained  the  consis- 
tency and  perseverance  of  her  efforts  to  qualify  for  admission  to  the 
rank  and  file  of  the  Occidental  comity ;  dwelt  upon  the  earnestness  of 
her  aspirations,  and  insisted  that  the  road  to  safety  lay  really  in  the 
direction  of  liberal  progress,  free  intercourse  and  protection  by  imi- 
tation. Herbert  Spencer's  views  remained  unshaken.  He  had  formed 
them,  he  said,  after  long  study  of  ethnical  and  historical  problems, 
and  he  could  not  divest  himself  of  his  convictions. 

Finally,  in  deference  to  Baron  Kaneko's  request,  he  reduced  his 
opinions  to  writing. 


The  Great  Geography  Teacher. 


CHAPTER  XIX. 

HOW  INDIA  VIEWS  JAPAN. 

Ancient  Acquaintance  Renewed — Hope  of  Deliverance  Raised— Yearns  for  Federa- 
tion—Spark of  Liberty  Still  Burns— Suggestion  for  an  Asiatic  Triple  Alli- 
ance— Is  It  Only  a  Dream? 

THE  worldwide  interest  that  centered  upon  the  Japanese-Rus- 
sian war  and  the  significance  of  its  outcome  may  be  judged 
somewhat  by  the  feverish  concern  with  which  its  ever  changing 
developments  were  viewed  in  India,  as  well  as  China.  What  dreams  of 
emulation  were  aroused  in  the  minds  of  its  dusky  people,  what  hopes 
of  shaking  off  the  hated  British  rule  were  inspired  by  the  proud 
achievements  of  the  puissant  Japs  may  never  be  known.  Suffice  it  to 
say  England's  apprehension  was  aroused.  Her  tenure  was  precarious 
enough ;  if  only  Brahmin  and  Mohammedan  should  unite  the  doom  of 
the  English  would  be  sealed.  Fortunately  for  the  peace  of  the  world 
India  had  become  the  Forgotten  Country,  the  land  of  the  Dead  Calm. 

ANCIENT    ACQUAINTANCE   RENEWED. 

Up  to  1894  the  Hindus  took  little  interest  in  the  Japanese.  The 
ancient  bonds  uniting  them  through  the  spread  of  Buddhism,  and  of 
India  culture  in  general  in  Japan,  weakened  exceedingly  in  the  course 
of  centuries  in  consequence  of  the  diametrically  different  fates  of  the 
two  countries,  and  of  the  cessation  of  almost  all  intercourse.  India 
and  Japan  began  to  get  acquainted  anew  solely  owing  to  their  com- 
mon acquaintance  with  the  English  culture  and  under  the  influence  of 

the  English  press. 

269 


270 


THE  GREAT  WAR  IN  THE  EAST. 


The  news  of  the  wreck  of  the  military  power  of  illimitable  China 
by  a  nation  of  mediocre  size,  which  was  yet  in  moral  dependence  to  it, 
and  indebted  to  it  for  the  principles  of  its  government  and  civiliza- 
tion, could  not  help  astonish  the  Hindus  and  stimulate  their  curiosity. 
From  that  time  on  the  English  papers  in  India,  some  of  which  are 
advocates  of  the  needs  of  the  subjected  people  (edited  and  published 
by  Hindus,  subject  of  course  to  the  censorship  of  native  publications), 
began  to  maintain  permanent  correspondents  in  Japan,  and  the  entire 
class  of  people  educated  in  the  English  educational  system  began  to 
follow  events  in  Japan. 

HOPE   OF   DELIVERANCE   RAISED. 

Then  came  the  hundred-tongued  rumor  that  in  the  operations 
against  the  Boxers  the  Japanese  army  proved  superior  in  courage  to 
all  European  armies,  and  especially  in  its  humane  treatment  of  the 
conquered — this  rumor  stirred  the  people  of  India  to  even  higher  pitch 
than  the  China-Japan  war.  Trumpeting  this  superiority  over  other 
Europeans,  the  English  intended  to  lower  these  in  the  opinion  of  the 
Hindus,  but  the  latter  made  their  contrasts  instead,  with  the  English, 
whom  they  always  have  before  their  eyes. 

From  this  time  on  the  whole  Hindu  mass  began  to  be  fascinated  by 
Japan,  and  to  place  upon  her  hopes  of  deliverance.  Hindus  began 
to  travel  to  Japan  (in  the  last  decade  Hindus  have  become  great 
travelers),  to  reside  in  Japan  and  study  in  her  schools.  At  present 
the  fashion  among  well-to-do  Hindus  is  to  send  their  boys  to  Japan, 
where  they  formerly  sent  them  to  England.  On  the  other  hand  the 
Japanese  began  to  travel  through  India,  and  to  spend  months  and  even 
years  in  its  cities. 

YEARN    FOR    FEDERATION. 

A  close  bond  was  woven  first  of  all  between  the  Japs  and  the  Bud- 
dhists of  Ceylon  and  Nepaul,  but  on  account  of  the  diminishing  enmity 
between  Brahmins  and  Buddhists,  the  Buddhistic  Japanese  were  not 
prevented  on  account  of  their  religion  from  entering  into  a  rap- 
prochement with  the  Brahmins  also. 


HOW  INDIA  VIEWS  JAPAN.  271 

The  English  observed  and  rejoiced  at  the  sympathy  of  the  Hindus 
for  the  opponent  of  her  rival  in  Asia,  Russia.  The  Japs,  they  thought, 
would  serve  them  in  good  capacity  for  the  estrangement  of  the  people 
of  India  from  sympathizing  with  Russia.  But  recently  the  English 
were  thunderstruck  by  some  sufficiently  eloquent  facts.  An  article  on 
Japan,  written  by  an  Englishman  returning  from  travels  there,  evoked 
a  whole  mailbag  of  letters  to  him  from  editors  of  other  gazettes, 
nabobs,  rajahs,  etc.  They  had  taken  him  for  a  Japanese  and  expressed 
their  delight  that  at  last  one  of  the  future  liberators  of  their  country 
had  arrived. 

SPARK  OF  LIBERTY  STILL  BURNS. 

Some  even  sent  presents,  and  offered  subscriptions  for  the  prosecu- 
tion of  the  secret  propaganda.  The  whole  correspondence  fell  into 
the  hands  of  the  x\nglo-Indian  Government,  which  could  not  contain 
itself  in  its  astonishment.  Lord  Curzon  viewed  the  affair  seriously, 
but  smothered  it  in  order  to  prevent  its  dissemination.  In  conse- 
quence a  plan  was  put  afoot  to  prohibit  Hindus  from  attending  Japa- 
nese schools,  and  principally  the  University  of  Tokyo. 

At  the  time  of  this  accidental  discovery  some  other  notable  symp- 
toms were  observed.  During  the  winter  semester  (term)  of  the  Tokyo 
University,  seventy  Hindus  came  up  for  matriculation,  some  of  them 
members  of  the  highest  families,  and  to  all  a  magnificent  welcome 
was  extended.  The  arrival  of  vassal  rulers  with  their  numerous  at- 
tendants and  of  other  famous  Hindus  added  splendor  to  the  saison 
of  the  imperial  court.  The  Japanese  aristocracy  arranged  a  banquet 
in  honor  of  the  notable  guests  of  the  "Club  of  the  Peers,"  where 
floods  of  eloquence  on  the  liberation  of  all  Asia  from  the  Europeans 
were  indulged  in.  Two  speeches  aroused  the  greatest  sensation.  One 
by  the  Maharaja  Putiala  and  the  other  by  the  Buddhist  priest  Dhar^ 
mapala.  Although  but  a  portion  of  them  found  their  way  into  the 
Japanese  press,  yet  that  portion  opened  wide  the  eyes  of  all  Europeans 
acquainted  with  the  Japanese  language. 

The  maharaja  told  the  peers  that  he  was  not  a  subject  or  a  vassal, 


272  THE  GREAT  WAR  IN  THE  EAST. 

but  instead,  an  ally  of  England.  The  Emperor  of  India  was  like  the 
German  Emperor  in  rank,  but  that  did  not  make  the  King  of  Bavaria 
a  vassal  to  William  II.  No  more  is  India.  The  so-called  vassal  rulers 
were  merely  deprived  of  their  right  of  entering  into  official  relations 
with  foreign  states.  Else  the  maharaja  would  have  liked  to  maintain 
an  embassy  in  Tokyo. 

SUGGESTION  FOR  AN  ASIATIC  TRIPLE  ALLIANCE. 

Much  less  loyal  to  the  English  was  the  Priest  Dharmapala.  Dhar- 
mapala  made  an  appeal  for  an  Asiatic  triple  allince  between  Japan, 
China  and  India,  after  a  Chino- Japanese  army  had  liberated  the  people 
of  India  from  their  foreign  oppressor.  Asia  for  the  Asiatics,  was 
the  keynote  of  this  remarkable  banquet.  At  the  close,  a  Japanese 
peer  read  the  famous  poem  of  Kakasu  Okakusi,  calling  the  Asians 
to  arms  to  emancipate  all  Asia  from  the  exploitation  of  European 
races. 

IS   IT  ONLY   A   DREAM? 

What  a  stupendous  dream !  Asia  for  the  Asiatics  with  their  teem- 
ing millions  overshadowing  all  the  rest  of  the  earth.  It  is  the  dream 
that  haunts  those  who  are  ever  ready  to  raise  an  outcry  against  the 
"yellow  peril."  Japan,  China  and  India  united  against  all  the  world 
in  a  mighty  empire  towering  in  numerical  strength  above  all.  Is  the 
dream  to  prove  empty  ?    Time  alone  can  tell. 


CHAPTER  XX. 
JAPAN'S  YELLOW  JOURNALISM. 

A  Polite  Calldown — Some  Notable  Exceptions — Yellow  Journalism  Flourishes — The 
Newspapers  Got  the  Gold— The  Lottery  S»heme  Strikes  In— Sensational  War 
News — The  Yellowest  One  of  All — Press  in  Darkness. 

'EW  Americans  realize  to  what  an  extent  the  daily  newspaper  has 
grown  in  the  last  decade  in  "little"  Japan,  with  her  50,000,000 
people.  In  Tokyo,  for  instance,  there  are  no  less  than  twelve  na- 
tive daily  papers,  while  the  foreign  press  of  the  capital  and  Yokohama 
is  valued  at  something  like  227,000  yen,  a  yen  being  approximately  50 
cents  in  American  money.  Tokyo  has  its  press  club  also,  called  the  Japa- 
nese Journalists'  Union,  where  the  knights  of  the  fourth  estate  were 
wont  to  meet  to  retail  thrilling  stories  of  newspaper  daring  in  eluding 
the  Russian  press  censor  in  Manchuria  and  getting  in  a  sensational 
beat  for  the  Dempo,  which  the  Chuo  pilfers  in  its  next  issue. 

A    POLITE    CALLDOWN. 

Of  course,  the  rubbing  in  is  done  in  the  most  polite  fashion,  the 
Dempo  editor  expressing  himself  something  like  this:  "It  gave  most 
base  me  very  great  pleasure,  most  honorable  editor  of  the  divine 
Chuo,  to  see  that  your  most  august  journal  deigned  honorably  to 
quote  from  my  vile  Dempo  a  mean  paragraph  this  morning." 

And  without  the  faintest  intention  of  sarcasm  either!  Of  course, 
this  self-abasement  is  mere  form — the  Japanese  could  not  be  other 
than  polite  or  display  the  slightest  annoyance  if  he  tried — but  in  nine 
cases  out  of  ten  the  honorable  editor  of  the  Dempo  is  right  when  he 

273 


274  THE  GREAT  WAR  IN  THE  EAST. 

calls  his  journal  "vile"  and  the  paragraph  "base."     For  Japan  was 
in  the  grip  of  the  "yellow  peril"  in  journalism. 

SOME    NOTABLE    EXCEPTIONS.' 

It  is  not  to  be  understood,  however,  that  the  entire  Japanese  press 
is  yellow.  Far  from  it.  There  are  at  least  three  notable  exceptions 
which  would  rank  high  in  journalism  under  any  civilization.  But  the 
majority  of  the  papers  of  Tokyo  and  Yokohama  have  evolved  char- 
acters that  would  do  credit  to  the  yellow  publications  of  the  United 
States.  This  section  of  the  Japanese  press  is  young  and  is  sowing  its 
wild  oats  with  a  zest  that  would  make  the  most  blase  of  American 
yellow  journalists  green  with  envy. 

YELLOW   JOURNALISM    FLOURISHES. 

To  give  examples  of  the  domestication  of  yellow  journalism  in  the 
island  empire  is  not  so  difficult  as  it  is  incredible.  The  Japanese  are 
a  most  adaptive  people.  Western  ideas  appeal  to  them  strongly,  and 
it  seems  that  psychologically  they  have  much  in  common  with  Ameri- 
cans. They  are  quick  to  see  a  practical  advantage  and  quicker  to 
apply  it.  With  them  advertising,  for  instance,  is  carried  on  with  a 
perfection  that  makes  the  Westerner  marvel,  and  for  the  purpose  of 
securing  advertising  the  yellow  section  has  copied  all  the  latest  fads 
of  the  most  approved  school  for  booming  circulation. 

THE  NEWSPAPERS  GOT  THE  GOLD. 

The  plan  of  hiding  bags  of  gold  in  out-of-the-way  places  and  pub- 
lishing stories  in  the  paper  giving  clews  to  the  caches,  which  has  been 
tried  so  successfully  by  the  London  Mail  and  several  of  the  American 
papers,  bore  its  full  fruition  in  Japan.  Their  method  was  to  conceal 
a  token  and  publish  in  some  obscure  part  of  the  paper  directions  how 
to  find  it,  the  finder  of  the  token  to  receive  a  handsome  reward  of 
so  many  yen.  At  once  this  created  a  furore.  It  seemed  as  if  the 
native  population  was  token  mad. 

For  a  time  it  divided  attention  with  the  war.  But  doubts  began 
to  arise  about  the  honesty  of  the  transaction.     Most  of  the  papers 


JAPAN'S  YELLOW  JOURNALISM.  275 

had  taken  it  up  and  it  seemed  that  they  always  allowed  a  certain 
fixed  time  to  elapse  between  the  publication  of  the  announcement  and 
the  time  for  the  commencing  of  the  search.  When  the  critical  moment 
came  it  was  generally  found  that  someone  on  the  staff  or  at  least  in- 
directly connected  with  the  paper,  got  the  token. 

THE    LOTTERY    SCHEME    STRIKES    IN. 

No  sooner  had  this  run  its  course  than  the  Chuo  resorted  to  the 
inevitable  lottery,  which  was  held  at  the  end  of  each  month  for  the 
benefit  of  its  subscribers,  the  prizes  being  20  yen  debentures  of  the 
Industries  bank.  The  Niroku,  with  a  policy  truly  American,  followed 
suit  with  more  prizes  and  of  larger  value.  The  Hochi,  not  to  be  out- 
done, then  put  out  the  scheme  that  worked  the  best  of  all.  It  was 
the  old  promise  of  a  prize  to  anyone  who  could  discover  a  typograph- 
ical error  in  its  advertising  sheet.  When  it  became  known  that  the 
ads  of  Hochi  would  be  read  carefully  by  a  large  number  of  people 
it  at  once  jumped  into  first  place  as  a  medium.  The  merchants,  seeing 
how  the  lottery  ticket  craze  brought  business  to  the  papers,  at  once 
began  to  advertise  that  with  certain  amounts  of  goods  purchased 
lottery  tickets  would  be  given  away  and  it  had  all  the  desired  effect 
that  doubling  the  number  of  green  trading  stamps  had  in  this  country. 

TOKYO   LOTTERY    MAD. 

For  the  time  Tokyo  was  lottery-mad.  Finally  the  police  were  forced 
to  interfere  and  yellow  journalism  looked  about  for  some  new  thing 
that  was  not  such  a  flagrant  violation  of  the  anti-gambling  laws. 
But  it  paid  while  it  lasted. 

SENSATIONAL    WAR    NEWS. 

Like  yellow  journalism  elsewhere,  after  all  the  funds  for  the  poor 
and  the  bureaus  for  this  and  that  are  discounted,  theie  is  the  news, 
incidentally.  The  retailing  of  delectable  bits  of  scandal,  of  course, 
gave  way  to  violently  sensational  war  news  with  the  outbreak  of 
hostilities  which  was  rushed  on  the  street  of  Tokyo  in  the  shape  of 
extras  with  a  rapidity  and  unreliability  that  compared  favorably  with 


276  THE  GREAT  WAR  IN  THE  EAST. 

Park  Row  in  the  days  of  the  Spanish  war.  Everybody  read  those 
extras,  and,  strange  to  say,  great  importance  was  attached  to  every- 
thing that  attained  the  sacredness  of  print,  despite  the  fact  that  each 
successive  canard  was  scarcely  in  type  before  it  was  contradicted. 

The  only  way  for  one  to  avoid  getting  the  most  distorted  news  in 
Japan  was  to  read  only  the  Jiji,  the  Kokumin  or  the  Asahi,  and  they 
were  only  better  because  they  discredited  the  scare  heads  of  the  other 
papers.  These  three  papers  represented  the  best  conservative  senti- 
ment, but  they  were  powerless  to  stem  the  tide  of  sensationalism.  The 
Jiji  adopted  a  rather  novel  plan  of  overcoming  this  abuse  of  extras  by 
publishing  the  news  in  its  morning  edition,  with  the  proviso  that  "un- 
less something  unusual  develops  there  will  be  no  extras,"  the  issuing  of 
an  extra  having  become  the  rule  rather  than  the  exception.  Of  course 
as  the  day  advanced  most  of  the  othei  papers  flooded  the  city  with 
extras,  which  were  devoured  ravenously.  Nobody  seemed  to  notice 
or  to  care  for  the  fact  that  the  absence  of  a  Jiji  extra  practically  dis- 
credited the  news. 

Whether  the  papers  created  the  want  or  the  want  the  papers  was  too 
metaphysical  a  question,  but  the  truth  of  the  situation  was  that  the 
war  spirit  had  control  of  everybody  except  those  at  the  head  of  the 
movement. 

THE  YELLOWEST  ONE  OF  ALL. 

As  if  the  existing  yellowness  was  not  deep-dyed  enough  another 
journal  entered  the  field  which  eclipsed  them  all.  This  was  the 
"Dempo"  (Telegraph),  which  was  immediately  at  sword's  points  with 
the  rest  of  the  press  for  not  being  yellow  enough.  Its  motto  was, 
"Let  us  fight  and  win,  let  us  fight  and  lose,  but  let  us  fight."  How 
the  paper  existed  is  still  a  wonder  from  a  financial  standpoint,  for  it 
sold  for  10  sen  a  month,  which  is  roughly  one-twenty-fourth  of  a  cent 
a  copy,  and  with  a  circulation  of  100,000  would  yield  only  334  yen 
daily.  But  it  was  widely  read  and  before  the  beginning  of  the  war 
grew  daily  more  violent.  One  of  its  noted  utterances  was  that  "the 
government   is   prepared   to   yield   everything   to    Russia,"    and   the 


JAPAN'S  YELLOW  JOURNALISM.  277 

flowery  abuse  of  the  cabinet  for  this  suppositious  policy  was  something 
fearful  and  wonderful  to  read. 

PRESS    IN    DARKNESS. 

To  show  how  little  the  papers  actually  knew  of  the  status  of  affairs 
the  Shogyo  Slumpo  flatly  contradicted  the  Dempo  and  asserted  that 
the  government  had  "absolutely  determined  on  war  unless  its  pro- 
posals were  accepted  by  Russia  in  toto."  The  Shogyo  represented  the 
interests  of  the  business  men  of  Japan.  The  Nippon,  which  repre- 
sented the  extreme  of  Japanese  chaucinism,  took  its  stand  along  with 
the  Dempo.  The  Yomiuri,  Hochi,  Chuo,  Jiminin  and  other  minor 
journals  also  committed  themselves  to  policies  uniting  abuse  of  the 
cautious  procrastinating  cabinet  and  loud  applause  of  Koko  Hironka, 
who  was  the  president  of  the  prorogued  diet  which  was  in  open  hostil- 
ity to  the  government. 

The  unanimity  of  the  press  in  fostering  the  war  spirit  in  XaPan  was 
well  illustrated  by  a  meeting  of  Tokyo  and  Osaka  journalists  who 
advocated  war,  in  the  kowaido  (public  hall)  of  Osaka.  There  were 
over  2,500  delegates  present  indulging  in  the  most  impassioned  and 
inflammatory  oratory,  appealing  to  national  patriotism  and  virtually 
calling  for  the  resignation  of  the  ministry  for  not  rushing  into  war 
before  it  did. 


VICEROY  ALEXIEFF--"I  SEEM  TO  HAVE  CONSIDERABLE  COMPANY." 

Tbe  Brst  reports  of  naval  reverses  sent  to  the  Czar  by  Viceroy  Alexlefl  were  certatoly  In  line  with 

,  .,.„..  dispatched  by  the  British  «  K  Q«  ral  Buller  and  the  Spanish Q«  neral  Wehler. 


CHAPTER  XXL 
WOMAN'S  PART  IN  THE  WAR. 

Expects  Her  Son  to  Return  Victorious— Faith  as  Necessary  as  Air— The  Icon 
Smiles  Upon  You  Everywhere — To  the  War  She  Gives  Family  and  Jewels — 
The  Japanese  Wife — Cleanest  People  on  Earth — Worship  Pure  Air — Women 
Fought  to  the  Death — Refuse  to  Weep  Over  Dead  Sons. 

NO  contrast  between  Japan  and  Russia  is  greater  than  that  be- 
tween the  women  of  the  two  countries.     The  Jap  woman  who 
with  tearless  eye  sends  forth  her  son  to  battle  for  her  Emperor 
and  who,  with  true  oriental  fatalism,  has  little  thought  or  hope  of  his 
return,  finds  no  counterpart  in  Russia.     Both  send  forth  their  sons  to 
fight  for  an  ideal.     These  ideals  are  very  far  removed. 

EXPECTS  HER  SON  TO  RETURN  VICTORIOUS. 

The  Russian  woman  confidently  expects  her  son  to  return  vic- 
torious. So  does  the  Russian  wife  and  sweetheart.  If  the  soldier  so 
returns  it  is  well.  It  is  God's  will.  If  he  falls,  to  find  a  lonely  and 
forgotten  grave  in  the  snowy  wilds  of  a  remote  corner  of  the  world, 
that,  too,  is  God's  will.     His  will  must  not  be  questioned. 

Though  defeat  prove  the  portion  of  the  soldier  she  sends  forth,  there 
will  be  no  complaint.  Tears  flow,  but  no  word  of  bitterness  is  heard. 
God  will  manifest  His  power  and  will  lead  His  chosen  to  victor}-  in 
His  time. 

It  will  be  at  once  seen  that  the  Russian  woman  is  above  all  a  re- 
ligious enthusiast.     Not  that  she  is  lacking  in  patriotism,  for  despite 

widespread  belief  to  the  contrary,  patriotism  is  a  national  Russian 

279 


28o  THE  GREAT  WAR  IN  THE  EAST. 

characteristic.  Russia  has  two  sovereign  ideals — to  carry  the  faith  of 
the  Greek  Orthodox  church  to  the  uttermost  ends  of  the  earth,  and  to 
regenerate  the  world  on  the  basis  of  its  own  forms  of  social  order  and 
political  authority. 

Every  Russian  is  a  member  of  the  Greek  Orthodox  church,  even 
though  he  may  be  almost  an  infidel  or  an  atheist.  Church  membership 
is  a  part  of  his  civil  life,  for  the  Greek  Orthodox  church  and  the  Rus- 
sian autocratic  government  are  woven  inextricably  into  each  other. 
Every  Russian  is  therefore  at  once  a  patriot  and  a  religionist — in  the- 
ory, at  least — since  his  church  and  state  are  one. 

Incident  to  "Holy  Russia's"  mission  of  regenerating  the  world 
her  more  immediate  idealistic  purpose  is  to  spread  her  dominion  over 
all  Asia.  To  the  Russian  mind  all  Japan,  China,  Persia  and  India  are 
to  be  Russian.  It  is  Russia  that  is  to  restore  the  cross  to  Jerusalem 
itself. 

FAITH  AS  NECESSARY  AS  AIR. 

A  distinguished  writer  on  the  subject  has  said  of  Russia:  "You 
may  know  all  about  the  industrial  and  social  life  of  the  Russian,  how 
he  works  and  how  he  lives,  but  unless  you  know  the  religious  side  of 
him  you  are  in  utter  ignorance  concerning  him."  Faith  is  as  neces- 
sary to  his  existence  as  food  or  air.  Speak  to  the  woman  toiling  in 
the  field  and  ask  her  the  number  of  her  children,  and  she  will  say, 
"God  gave  me  three."  Question  the  railway  laborer  digging  along  the 
right  of  way.  Ask  him  concerning  the  latest  wreck  and  he  will  say 
without  a  sigh,  "God  willed  it  so." 

THE  ICON  SMILES  UPON  YOU  EVERYWHERE. 

Everywhere  you  may  turn  the  icon  smiles  down  upon  you.  In  the 
military  telegraph  office  in  the  furthest  Russian  outpost,  in  the  peas- 
ant's cottage,  in  the  cabins  of  the  Russian  boats,  in  the  home  of  wealth, 
in  the  saloon  and  even  in  the  abode  of  the  fallen,  hangs  the  icon.  The 
icon  is  a  little  picture  or  image  of  Christ,  the  Virgin,  or  some  venerated 
Russian  saint,  or  both.  It  is  the  concrete  visible  emblem  of  a  pro- 
found racial  religious  instinct.      Noble  and  peasant,  merchant  prince 


'WOMAN'S  PART  IN  THE  WAR.  281 

and  factory  hand,  military  officer  or  rough  sailor,  it  is  all  the  same, 
the  religious  instinct  is  there.  Superstition  some  call  it.  Be  that  as  it 
may,  this  religious  feeling  has,  and  probably  always  will  be,  a  power- 
ful influence  in  shaping  the  destiny  of  Russia. 

THE  RUSSIAN   WOMAN   HAS  FORGED  AHEAD. 

Naturally,  of  the  two,  woman  is  more  religiously  inclined  than  man, 
and  the  Russian  woman  is  no  exception  to  the  rule.  Recent  as  was 
her  emancipation  from  conditions  almost  oriental,  the  Russian  woman 
has  forged  ahead  and  is  really  a  force  in  the  great  empire.  Foint  to 
a  grand  column  of  trees  along  the  roadway  and  you  will  be  told  with 
evidences  of  pride  that  the  great  Catherine  planted  them. 

The  modern  woman  may  not  have  made  any  great  impression  in 
Russia  or  reared  any  monuments  to  her  lasting  fame,  but  she  is  never- 
theless an  important  factor.  She  is  primarily  a  producer,  and  labors 
in  the  field  beside  her  lord.  Instead  of  the  solemn,  surly  creature  she 
is  pictured,  toiling  on  with  a  mind  clouded  with  a  bitterness  of  half- 
conscious  oppression,  she  is  a  healthy,  sturdy  example  of  womanhood, 
rejoicing  in  the  freedom  of  the  field  now  hers  and  in  common  with  the 
community  and  to  which  only  a  few  years  ago  she  was  bound  a  serf, 
in  fact  a  slave. 

Freedom  is  a  blessed  thing.  The  hard-working  Russian  woman  is 
not  blind  to  that.  She  drops  her  plodding  labor  ever  and  anon  to  give 
expression  to  her  appreciation  in  words  of  thanks.  She  is  a  simple, 
sweet,  charitable  exponent  of  humility.  Unlike  the  Japanese  woman, 
she  expects  from  her  husband  as  much  as  she  gives.  Her  social  status 
may  not  be  exalted,  but  she  looks  to  her  husband  not  only  as  her  mas- 
ter, but  as  her  companion  as  well.  He  may  enjoy  liberties  that  she 
does  not,  but  there  are  stern  strict  bounds  that  mark  the  limitations 
of  those  liberties. 

Her  recognition  is  complete.  She  has  occupied  the  throne  of  the 
land;  she  marries  a  priest,  if  he  be  her  choice,  for  life  companion 
and  she  his,  and  shares  with  him  such  veneration  as  Iris  post  accords. 
But  that  is  not  very  much,  for,  contrary  to  general  belief,  the  people 


282  THE  GREAT  WAR  IN  THE  EAST. 

regard  the  church  as  their  institution  and  the  priests  as  their  servants. 
Mighty  ruler  though  he  is,  the  Czar  is  not  only  master,  but  servant. 
He  represents  a  manifestation  of  divine  will  to  his  people.  He  is  the 
divine  instrument  for  the  preservation  of  order,  form  and  authority. 
It  is  not  marvelous  then  that  the  devout  Russian  woman  calmly  looks 
upon  the  gift  of  her  son,  her  husband  or  her  sweetheart,  to  the  mighty 
Russian  army,  in  the  furtherance  of  the  Czar's  purposes  or  ambitions, 
as  a  common  every-day  act  of  loyalty  and  devotion. 

TO   THE   WAR  SHE  GIVES   FAMILY  AND  JEWELS. 

She  believes  fully  in  a  subconscious  way  that  by  the  sword  must  the 
two  great  Russian  ideals  be  maintained — the  preservation  of  religious 
faith  and  the  extension  of  order,  form  and  authority  as  manifested  in 
the  Russian  government.  So  she  cheerfully  gives  of  her  family  and 
her  circle  of  friends,  devoutly  prays  for  success  for  the  Russian  arms 
and  stolidly  goes  about  her  routine  labors,  vastly  increased  through  the 
absence  of  the  one  she  gives. 

Nor  is  that  all.  Her  patriotism  finds  other  and  equally  tangible 
methods  of  expression.  When  the  war  between  Russia  and  Japan 
opened  women  throughout  the  entire  empire  stripped  themselves  of 
their  jewels,  ornaments  and  luxuries  to  contribute  to  the  success  of 
what  appeared  in  their  minds  a  holy  cause.  In  this  the  Czarina  took 
an  active  lead,  and  by  her  example  inspired  many  to  give  up  to  the 
cause  all  that  tended  to  lift  their  lives  out  of  the  commonplace. 

The  Russian  woman  has  experienced  no  revelation  or  sudden  transi- 
tion. Therefore  there  is  little  of  the  emotional  in  her  preparation  for 
war.  From  childhood  she  has  regarded  the  carrying  of  the  Cross  to 
the  rest  of  the  world  and  the  restoration  of  social  order  and  political 
authority  to  confused  peoples  as  the  great  mission  of  her  Czar,  her  hus- 
band, her  own  self  and  all  who  are  dear  to  her. 

"All  in  God's  own  time"  is  the  Russian  motto.  And  she  adds  to  it, 
"All  in  God's  own  way."  Greater  minds  than  hers  presume  to  fathom 
and  to  execute  what  they  consider  God's  plan,  and  it  is  only  hers  to 
contribute  what  she  may  to  it.     This  she  does  cheerfully. 


WOMAN'S  PART  IN  THE  WAR.  283 

Social  life  in  Japan  is  a  strange  mixture  inexplicable  to  the  oc- 
cidental visitor.  The  country  is  essentially  Eastern,  and  although 
so  extraordinarily  hospitable  to  new  ideas,  has  retained  the  oriental 
attitude  toward  women.  The  social  life  of  the  Japanese  man  is 
divided  between  two  classes  of  women — the  Geisha,  who  is  trained  to 
amuse,  to  sing,  to  dance,  and  in  fact  to  minister  to  his  lighter  moods, 
and  the  Japanase  wife,  trained  to  strict  obedience,  and  to  believe  that 
her  husband  has  every  right  to  seek  his  entertainment  outside  the  walls 
of  home. 

The  wife  is  accounted  as  nothing  except  as  the  homekeeper.  If  an 
invitation  is  sent  to  a  Japanese  to  dinner  it  does  not  include  his  wife. 
He  is  asked  to  a  restaurant  where  the  most  beautiful  Geishas  are 
assembled,  and  the  wife  regards  this  as  a  natural  feature  in  social  life. 

As  you  drive  through  Shibat  you  will  know  where  the  Japanese 
gentleman  is  enjoying  himself  in  the  primitive  way  by  large  wooden 
lanterns,  with  paper  glasses  on  the  projecting  eaves,  and  by  the  rick- 
sha boys  smoking  and  doubtless  scandal-mongering,  and  you  will  hear 
the  tinkle  of  the  samisen  and  the  poor  little  melody  of  the  Geishas' 
voices. 

The  Geisha  is  always  the  best  dressed  and  the  wittiest  woman 
in  Japan,  for  the  more  reputable  class  of  Japanese  women  do  not 
consider  it  compatible  with  their  respectability  to  be  well  dressed. 

But  there  is  one  feature  in  the  social  life  of  Japan  which  is  em- 
phasized by  all  who  know  the  country.  Whatever  may  have  been  the 
life  of  a  woman  previous  to  marriage  she  would  never  be  reproached 
for  her  ill  conduct  after  she  had  settled  down  to  matrimony. 

In  fact,  the  standard  for  women  in  Japan  is  much  the  same  as  the 
standard  unfortunately  upheld  by  many  in  Western  Christianity  for 
men.  The  aristocratic  woman  leads  a  life  of  intense  monotony.  She 
has  few  pleasures  beyond  admiring  flowers  in  exquisite  bloom  or 
watching  the  changing  colors  of  the  maple  leaves.  She  seldom  goes 
outside  her  house,  as  none  but  the  official  class  have  carriages  and  it 
is  considered  utterly  out  of  place  for  the  Japanese  woman  to  walk. 


284  THE  GREAT  WAR  IN  THE  EAST. 

Moreover,  her  religion  is  no  comfort  to  her,  for  should  she  desire 
to  attend  her  worship  regularly  she  is  prevented  from  doing  so,  owing 
to  the  fact  that  to  have  religion  is  regarded  as  a  sign  of  Mightiness, 
an  axiom  that  Confucius  long  ago  laid  down  for  Chinese  women, 
who  passed  it  on  to  Japan.  Her  privilege  is  to  do  all  sorts  of  menial 
work  for  her  husband,  mending  his  clothes  and  supervising  the  house- 
hold. 

CLEANEST  PEOPLE  ON  EARTH. 

The  Japanese  have  at  any  rate  one  virtue  which  is  usually  absent 
in  European  nations — they  are  the  cleanliest  people  in  the  world. 
Even  the  commonest  laborer  will  take  a  bath  daily,  and  during  the 
hot  weather  the  leisure  classes  will  take  three  baths  a  day.  This,  of 
course,  is  utterly  unknown  elsewhere. 

WORSHIP  PURE  AIR. 

It  is  not  only  in  the  matter  of  baths  that  the  Japanese  understands 
hygiene.  It  has  been  rightly  said  that  they  "eat  fresh  air  with  even 
greater  gusto  than  they  consume  food."  An  unlimited  supply  cir- 
culates through  every  part  of  a  Japanese  house. 

If  we  walk  through  the  streets  of  Chicago  or  New  York,  in  the 
early  hours  of  the  morning  before  the  city  wakes,  it  is  the  rarest  thing 
to  see  a  window  open ;  but  in  Japan  they  have  learned  that  brain  fag 
and  dyspepsia  are  the  result  of  the  want  of  oxygen,  and  that  if  their 
happy,  cheerful  dispositions  are  to  be  maintained  it  must  be  because 
they  breathe  pure  air  by  day  and  by  night. 

A   CURIOUS   COMPARISON. 

Another  curious  characteristic  af  Japan,  and  one  that  affects  the 
character  of  its  women,  is  that  the  enormous  growth  and  the  extra- 
ordinary extension  of  her  commerce  have  in  no  way  changed  the 
individuality  of  the  Japanese,  their  dislike  of  conventionality,  their 
love  of  freedom. 

In  contrasting  Japan  with  our  own  civilization  a  well  informed 
writer  declares  it  has  "become  industrial  without  becoming  mechanical 
or  artificial." 


WOMAN'S  PART  IN  THE  WAR.  285 

He  describes  the  precipices  of  masonry,  considered  beautiful  in  the 
cities  of  what  are  called  more  civilized  countries,  the  slabs  of  rock 
that  we  call  pavements,  and  under  those  pavements  a  cavernous 
world,  tremendous  systems  of  ways  contrived  for  water,  steam  and 
fire;  the  cliffs  of  architecture  that  shut  out  the  sun,  stairways  of  steel, 
of  brass  and  of  stone,  and  yet  men  do  not  use  the  stairways,  but  as- 
cend through  the  decades  and  the  double  decades  of  stories  by  water 
power,  by  steam  and  by  electricity. 

HOUSES  BUILT  ALMOST  IN  A  DAY. 

And  then  in  these  vast  buildings  he  describes  how  heights  are 
too  great  for  the  voice  to  traverse,  and  orders  are  given  and  obeyed 
by  machinery.  With  one  touch  a  hundred  rooms  are  lighted  or 
heated.  "These  leagues  of  palaces,  of  warehouses,  of  structures  and 
buildings  are  not  beautiful,  but  sinister.  And  there  is  no  halt  in  the 
thunder  of  the  wheels  and  the  storming  of  the  hoofs  and  of  the 
human  feet."  And  then  from  that  he  turns  to  the  Japanese  city  and 
vividly  and  in  a  few  lines  describes  the  difference. 

"In  the  morning,"  he  says,  "he  passes  up  the  corner  of  the  street, 
where  some  men  are  setting  up  bamboo  poles  on  a  vacant  lot,  and  after 
five  hours  he  passes  again  and  there  is  the  skeleton  of  a  two-storied 
house.  The  next  forenoon  the  walls  are  nearly  finished,  and  by 
sundown  the  roof  has  been  completely  finished.  The  next  morning 
the  mattings  are  down,  the  inside  plasterings  are  finished,  and  in 
five  days  the  house  is  complete.  And  Japanese  cities  are  composed  of 
such  buildings." 

A  WORD  ON  JAPANESE  ART. 

If  you  visit  in  Kyoto  the  greatest  porcelain  makers  in  the  world, 
whose  products  are  known  in  London,  in  Paris  and  in  New  York, 
the  factory  is  a  wooden  cottage,  and  the  greatest  maker  of  Cloisonne 
vases  produces  his  miracles  of  art  in  a  house  containing  six  small 
rooms.  It  is  probably  owing  to  this  peculiarity  that  the  Japanese  have 
retained  so  much  of  the  purity  of  their  art. 


286  THE  GREAT  WAR  IN  THE  EAST. 

No  nation  has  a  better  right  to  be  proud  of  what  its  women  have 
done  in  wartime  than  Japan.  Even  the  mothers  and  wives  of  ancient 
Sparta  have  been  rivaled  in  deeds  of  patriotism  and  self-sacrifice  by 
the  women  of  Japan. 

In  the  feudal  times  which  came  to  an  end  in  Japan  only  thirty 
years  ago,  all  gentlewomen  were  trained  in  the  use  of  the  sword  and 
lance.  The  women  of  the  samurai  class  received  a  regular  military 
education  and  if  the  castlt  of  a  daimio  was  besieged,  they  were 
capable  of  assisting  in  the  defense  if  necessary. 

A  noted  instance  of  the  martial  prowess  of  the  Japanese  women 
occurred  during  the  siege  of  the  castle  of  Wakamatsu  in  1869,  where 
the  Shogun  made  his  final  stand  against  the  forces  of  the  Mikado. 
Nearly  one  thousand  women  and  girls  belonging  to  the  families  of 
samurai  attached  to  the  Shogun  fought  behind  the  barricades  and  on 
the  castle  walls.  Many  of  them  were  killed  in  battle,  while  not  a  few 
committed  suicide  rather  than  undergo  the  humiliation  of  defeat. 

Yet  the  Amazonian  qualities  of  the  women  of  old  Japan  did  not 
detract  from  their  womanliness.  They  were  tender  mothers  and 
loving  wives.  The  nursing  of  the  wounded  and  sick  was  part  of  the 
education  of  every  samurai  woman. 

With  the  passing  of  the  age  of  chivalry  in  Japan,  upon  the  down- 
fall of  the  Shogunate,  the  Japanese  woman  was  called  upon  to  face 
new  conditions,  and  how  she  met  these  conditions  is  shown  in  the 
history  of  the  Chinese  war  of  1895. 

AT  THE  FRONT  AS  NURSES. 

It  is  a  matter  of  record  that  some  10,000  Japanese  women  volun- 
teered to  go  to  the  front  as  nurses  in  the  field  hospitals  at  the  out- 
break of  the  Chinese  war,  and  advices  from  Japan  state  that  the 
number  of  women  who  volunteered  to  go  to  the  front  as  nurses  in 
1904  was  greater  than  in  1895.  But  the  women  who  stayed  at  home 
were  not  lacking  in  patriotic  devotion. 

There  is  an  anecdote  concerning  the  mother  of  the  heroic  Com- 


WOMAN'S  PART  IN  THE  WAR.  287 

mander  Sakamoto,  who  was  killed  on  the  bridge  of  his  ship,  the  Akagi, 
at  the  Japo-Chinese  battle  of  Yalu,  which  shows  how  the  spirit  of  pa- 
triotism flames  in  the  hearts  of  Japanese  women. 

An  official  of  the  Navy  Department  called  on  the  family  of  the 
naval  officer  to  convey,  as  delicately  as  possible,  the  news  of  his 
death.  Having  communicated  his  tidings  to  a  member  of  the  family, 
he  was  about  to  depart,  when  the  shoji  slid  open  softly  and  the  aged 
mother  of  the  dead  commander  staggered  into  the  room. 

She  had  been  an  accidental  eavesdropper  and  had  heard  all. 
Trembling  with  emotion  she  bowed  low  to  the  visiting  officer  and  said  : 

"Tell  the  Emperor  T  rejoice  that  a  son  of  mine  has  been  able  to 
be  of  some  service  to  him." 

REFUSE  TO   WEEP  OVER  THEIR  DEAD  SONS. 

Some  Japanese  women  refused  to  weep  over  their  dead,  because  it 
was  considered  disloyal  to  the  Emperor  to  weep  for  those  who  had 
had  the  honor  to  die  fighting  for  him.  When  a  wife  or  a  mother 
heard  that  a  husband  or  a  son  had  been  killed  in  battle,  the  first  ex- 
pression uttered,  was  an  acknowledgement  of  the  honor  conferred 
upon  her  by  the  gods  in  being  bereaved  for  the  cause  of  the  Emperor. 

To  the  western  mind  such  patriotism  appears  to  be  fantastic  and 
hard  to  understand.  In  the  light  of  Japanese  history  it  does  not  seem 
so  strange. 

The  spirit  of  patriotism  in  the  Japanese  women  of  the  present 
generation  is  the  outgrowth  of  ages  of  feudalism.  The  loyalty  and 
devotion  which  the  women  of  past  generations  gave  to  their  feudal 
family  head  are  in  the  present  generation  given  to  the  Emperor. 

SETS   A    GOOD    EXAMPLE. 

In  the  Japanese-Russian  war  the  Empress  of  Japan  set  an  example 
for  all  the  women  of  the  country  by  her  activities  in  behalf  of  all  those 
who  were  suffering  or  in  distress.  She  might  be  seen  frequently  visit- 
ing the  great  military  hospitals,  accompanied  by  a  party  of  court 
ladies  and  noblemen's  wives. 


288  THE  GREAT  WAR  IN  THE  EAST. 

Following  the  example  of  the  Empress,  all  the  great  ladies  of 
Tokyo  society  did  what  they  could  to  relieve  the  distress  and  suffering 
that  inevitably  follow  war.  There  was  no  class  of  women  that  did 
not  contribute  something  to  this  cause  from  the  highest  to  the  lowli- 
est. 

It  was  not  only  the  women  of  the  samurai  class  who  showed  pas- 
sionate patriotism.  All  classes  of  society  are  represented  in  the  mod- 
ern Japanese  army,  and  the  peasant  woman  gave  proof  that  she  was 
quite  as  devoted  to  the  Emperor  as  the  samurai  lady. 

A  story  is  told  of  an  old  peasant  woman  who  sent  her  only  son 
to  fight  for  the  Emperor  in  the  war.  By  depriving  herself  of  every- 
thing but  the  barest  necessaries  of  life,  and  toiling  early  and  late  in 
the  fields,  she  had  been  able  to  give  her  son  a  superior  education,  and 
she  had  the  satisfaction  of  seeing  him  fairly  started  on  a  business 
career,  which  promised  to  be  successful,  when  the  call  to  arms 
sounded. 

The  little  peasant  mother  bade  her  son  give  up  his  business  and 
enter  the  ranks  of  the  army.  The  boy  did  as  his  mother  wished,  and 
his  regiment  was  one  of  the  first  to  reach  the  front. 

Every  morning  just  before  daybreak  the  little  peasant  mother  rose 
and,  after  making  a  careful  toilet,  as  an  orthodox  Buddhist,  she  went 
to  a  little  shrine  nearby  and  prayed  to  Ojin,  the  god  of  war.  She 
did  not  pray  for  her  son  to  come  home  safe  and  sound,  but  she  prayed 
that  he  might  prove  worthy  the  honor  of  wearing  the  Emperor's 
uniform. 


UNCLE  SAM— "I'LL  HAVE  TO  STOP  THIS  SOME  WAY." 

Uncle  Sam  Is  getting  so  worked  up  over  this  land  grabbing  that  he  Is  inclined  to  chop  off  the  hand 

of  the  land  grabber  himself. 

Drawn  by  C.  F.  Naughton,  of  the  Minneapolis  Tribune. 


^#//*A---, 


'•^»i0mm.-. 


THE  MONUMENT  BUST  (BEFORE  THE  WAR)™"THIS  IS  EXCITING  BUT  RATHER 

CONFUSING." 

Up  to  the  very  lust  moment  before  the  outbreak  of  the  war  conflicting  rumors  chased  each 
other  through  the  columns  of  the  press. 


Drawn  by  C.  F.  Naughton,  of  the  Minneapolis  Tribune. 


RUSSIA— "THIS  ATTACK  IN  THE  REAR,  WITH  MY  TROUBLES  AT  THE  FRONT, 
IS  PRETTY  TOUGH." 

While  Russia  was  wildly  rushing  to  the  front  in  the  Par  East,  the  revolutionists  were  busy  at 
home;  ami  Finns  and  Poles  also  threatened  to  take  advantage  of  her  plight. 

Drawn  by  C.  P.  Naughton,  of  the  Minneapolis  Tribune. 


//fi^ltTCt) 


CHINA — "I  AM  LARGE,  BUT  I  SEEM  TO  BE  UP  AGAINST  IT." 

Poor,  cumber:  ome  China  was  between  the  guns  of  Russia  and  Japan,  the  great  White  Bear 
threatening  Manchuria  and  the  Mikado,  Korea. 

Drawn  byC.V.  Naughtan,  of  the  Minneapolis  Tribune. 


Crr^V^ji.  •"w'l^v1' 


THE  CZAR--"  LET  NOT  MY  RIGHT  HAND  KNOW  WHAT  MY  LEFT  HAND  DOETH." 

This  cartoon  well  pictures  the  attitude  of  Russia,   at  the  opening  of   the  war,  protesting  her 
peaceful  intentions,  yet  preparing  for  war. 


-p^- 


SMALL  BEAR "FATHER  COME  HOME  WITH  ME  NOW." 

Drawn  by  Cartoonist  Rehse,  of  the  St.  Paul  Pioneer-Press. 

Domestic  Interests  evidently  thinks  that  the  Russian  Bear  is  getting  gloriously  drunk  over  his 

foreign  conquests  and  rightly  suggests  that  he  should  como  home  and  attend  to  Its  affairs. 


POOR  OLD  CHINA— "I  SUPPOSE  I  MUST  BE  NEUTRAL." 
With  Russia  and  Japan  wildly  circling  around  Poor  Old  China,  ft  was  naturally  hard  for  her 

to  keep  perfectly  calm. 

Drawn  by  C.  F.  Naughton,  of  the  Minneapolis  Tribune. 


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RUSSIA— "THIS  IS  A  RATHER  FIERCE  POND  THAT  I'VE  GOT  ON  TO." 

Early  lu  the  war  the  great  powers,  at  the  suggestion  of  the  United  States,  virtually  united  to 
maintain  the  Integrity  of  China,  excluding  Manchuria  from  the  agreement. 


RUSSIA  AND  JAPAN  (TOGETHER)—  «•  SHALL  I  TACKLE  THE  PORCUPINE  FIRST?" 

The  War  Porcupine  was  a  dangerous  proposition  and  both  Russia  and  Japan  understood  that 
thoroughly.    No  wonder  each  hesitated  to  be  the  llrst  to  tackle  it. 


CHAPTER  XXII. 
THE  BRIGHT  VIEW  OF  RUSSIA. 

Commercial  and  Sentimental  Relations— Anglo-Rebel  Warships — Son  of  W.  H.  Sew- 
ard Speaks  —  Russo-American  Telegraph  Cable  Abandoned  —  Do  We  See 
Through  Colored  Glasses?— Shouting  Hoarse  Over  Russia's  Hymn— Russia 
Devoid  of  Snobbishness. 

O  complex  and  intimate  are  our  relations  with  Russia  that  it  is 
difficult  to  approach  the  subject  without  emotions  bordering-  on 
trepidation.  Probably  on  no  other  subject  is  American  popular 
sentiment  so  generally  divided.  History  reveals  much  that  should  en- 
dear Russia  to  us.  At  the  same  time  there  is  much  recorded  in  Rus- 
sian history  repellant  to  the  American. 

This  sentiment  has  not  been  lessened  by  the  literature  that  emanates 
from  Western  Europe,  the  stories  that  fill  the  press  concerning  the 
horrors  of  Siberian  prisons  and  the  treatment  accorded  the  Jews, 
Poles  and  Finns,  nor  by  the  influx  of  immigration  from  Western 
Europe,  where  anti-Russian  sentiment  is  inherent.  That  there  has  been 
gross  exaggeration  is  generally  accepted,  yet  it  is  recognized  that 
these  grewsome  recitals  are  not  without  some  concrete  foundation 
of  fact. 

COMMERCIAL  AND   SENTIMENTAL  RELATIONS. 

Our  historical,  commercial  and  official  relations  are  of  record ;  our 
sentimental  relations  are  difficult  to  gauge.  That  Russia's  sympathy 
and  support  have  been  of  great  value  to  this  country  on  several  occa- 
sions is  easily  verifiable,  but  it  was  during  the  darkest  hours  of  the 
civil  war  that  Russian  friendship  made  its  influence  most  strongly 

307 


3o8  THE  GREAT  WAR  IN  THE  EAST. 

felt.  Almost  from  the  outbreak  of  that  struggle  sentiment  in  Eng- 
land and  France  was  distinctly  hostile  to  the  Union  cause.  Both 
those  powers  were  quick  to  take  the  position  that  the  disruption  of 
"what  was  the  United  States,"  as  Lord  John  Russell  expressed  it,  was 
an  accomplished  fact.  The  one  friendly  note  in  the  otherwise  hostile 
chorus  came  from  Russia. 

Russia's  friendship  during  the  civil  war. 

As  early  as  July,  1861,  Prince  Gortschakoff  transmitted  to  the  Rus- 
sian representative  at  Washington  a  note  declaring  the  Russian  gov- 
ernment to  be  "animated  by  the  most  friendly  sentiment  toward 
the  .American  union."  As  the  war  progressed  and  the  South  con- 
tinued to  win  battles,  English  and  French  sympathy  with  the  rebellion 
took  on  a  more  practical  form.  Russia's  friendly  feeling  toward  the 
North  became  more  and  more  manifest. 

So  far  had  Anglo-French  antipathy  gone  by  the  latter  part  of  1862 
that  the  United  States  government  was  forced  to  recognize  it  as  a 
serious  menace.  Emperor  Napoleon  began  to  push  forward  his  plan 
of  mediation,  the  plan  substantially  recognizing  the  South  as  a  bel- 
ligerent national  power.  In  England  warships  designed  for  the  Con- 
federate service  were  being  fitted  out  in  defiance  of  the  laws  of  neu- 
trality. It  was  then  that  Russia's  friendship  began  to  assume  a  prac- 
tically helpful  form,  not  only  in  diplomacy,  but  by  more  vigorous 
measures. 

Here  are  some  facts  worthy  of  remembrance:  On  Nov.  6,  1862, 
France  announced  its  intention  of  inviting  England  and  Russia  to 
join  in  the  mediation  plan.  On  Nov.  8  Russia  rejected  the  proposal. 
On  Nov.  13  the  British  government  decided  that  intervention  would 
be  impracticable  and  also  declined. 

ANGLO-REBEL  WARSHIPS. 

While  the  intervention  scheme  was  stopped  for  the  time  being,  the 
question  of  English-built  or  "Anglo-rebel"  warships  continued  to 
grow  more  menacing.    Early  in  1863  John  Ericsson,  who  was  called 


THE  BRIGHT  VIEW  OF  RUSSIA.  309 

into  consultation  by  the  harbor  defense  commission  of  New  York  as 
to  plans  for  the  safety  of  the  city,  declared  that  if  existing  conditions 
continued  American  ship  owners,  to  save  their  property  from  entire  de- 
struction, "must  withdraw  their  vessels  from  every  sea,  a  humiliation 
which  the  Union  cannot  submit  to." 

Such  was  the  situation  when,  on  Sept.  24,  1863,  a  squadron  of 
Russian  vessels  under  Admiral  Lessoffsky,  including  the  steam  frig- 
ates Osliaba,  Poresviet  and  Alexander  Newsky,  the  corvettes  Variag 
and  Vitiaz,  and  three  clipper  ships,  dropped  into  New  York  harbor 
for  an  indefinite  stay.  They  were  greeted  with  many  manifestations 
of  joy.  Then  Russia's  Asiatic  fleet  appeared  at  San  Francisco. 
Whether  or  not  it  be  accepted  that  the  commanders  of  these  fleets, 
who  were  under  sealed  orders,  had  instructions  to  place  themselves  at 
the  disposition  cf  the  United  States  in  the  event  of  war  with  France 
and  England,  the  significance  of  their  long  sojourn  in  .American 
waters  at  such  a  time  was  unmistakable.  Russia  could  not  have  hit 
upon  a  more  emphatic  way  of  intimating  to  the  other  powers  that  it 
was  prepared  to  take  up  the  active  armed  defense  of  the  United 
States. 

The  facts  are  worth  calling  to  notice  as  a  reminder  that  America 
had  every  reason  for  neutrality  as  to  the  conflict  in  the  far  East. 
This  country  had  little  disposition  to  wish  harm  to  Russian  warships 
in  the  troubled  days  of  1863.  That  the  money  paid  for  Alaska  was 
in  large  measure  a  repayment  of  expenses  incurred  by  Russia  in  fit- 
ting out  and  maintaining  fleets  for  the  defense  of  the  United  States 
against  British  or  French  attacks  is  the  belief  of  many  students  of  the 
history  of  the  American  civil  war. 

SON  OF  W.  H.  SEWARD  SPEAKS. 

Of  the  seven  men  who  were  present  at  the  signing  of  the  treaty  for 
the  annexation  of  Alaska — to  which  much  significance  has  been  at- 
tached in  the  attempts  to  explain  the  relationship  between  Russia  and 
the  United  States — but  one  survives  at  this  writing,  this  being  Fred- 
erick W.  Seward,  son  of  Lincoln's  Secretary  of  State,  W.  H.  Seward, 


310  THE  GREAT  WAR  IN  THE  EAST. 

who  acted  as  Assistant  Secretary  under  his  father.  He  lives  at 
Montrose,  N.  Y.  On  Feb.  21,  only  a  few  days  after  the  beginning  of 
hostilities,  Mr.  Seward  made  a  public  statement  of  the  facts  dem- 
onstrating the  friendship  entertained  by  Russia  towards  the  United 
States  in  1861. 

"The  spring  of  that  year,"  he  said,  "brought  the  answers  of  the 
European  governments  to  the  communication  which  the  American 
Secretary  had  addressed  to  them  at  the  opening  of  the  war.  Three 
nations,  whose  sympathy  had  been  reckoned  on,  did  not  disappoint 
the  expectations — the  republic  of  Switzerland,  the  kingdom  of  Italy 
and  the  empire  of  Russia.  Prince  Gortschakoff,  the  Russian  Prime 
Minister,  wrote  as  follows: 

"The  Union  is  not  simply  in  our  eyes  an  element  essential  to  the 
universal  political  equilibrium.  It  constitutes,  besides,  a  nation  to 
which  our  august  master  and  all  Russia  have  pledged  the  most  friendly 
interests,  for  the  two  countries,  placed  at  the  extremities  of  the  two 
worlds,  both  in  the  ascending  period  of  their  development,  appear 
called  to  a  natural  community  of  interests  and  of  sympathies,  of 
which  they  have  already  given  mutual  proofs  to  each  other.' 

"Early  in  the  war  Mr.  Seward  learned,  through  the  legation  at  St. 
Petersburg,  that  an  understanding  had  been  effected  between  the  gov- 
ernments of  Great  Britain  and  France  that  they  should  take  one  and 
the  same  course  on  the  subject  of  the  American  war,  including  the 
possible  recognition  of  the  rebels.  Later  the  understanding  was  dis- 
tinctly avowed  by  M.  Thouvenel  to  Mr.  Sanford,  of  Paris. 

"This  alliance  or  joint  action  might  dictate  its  own  terms.  From  a 
joint  announcement  of  neutrality  it  would  be  a  step  to  joint  mediation 
or  intervention,  and  it  would  hardly  be  anticipated  that  the  Washing- 
ton government,  struggling  with  an  insurrection  which  had  rent  the 
country  asunder,  would  be  willing  to  face  also  the  combined  power 
of  the  two  great  empires  of  Western  Europe. 

"To  the  minds  of  the  French  and  English  statesmen  the  project  was 
1  praiseworthy.     Tt  would  stop  the  effusion  of  blood,  as  was  said, 


THE  BRIGHT  VIEW  OF  RUSSIA.  311 

and  increase  the  supply  of  cotton.  It  wouM  leave  the  American 
I  'nion  permanently  divided,  and  that  was  a  consummation  that  Euro- 
pean statesmen  in  general  would  not  grieve  over." 

RUSSO-AMERICAN    TELEGRAPH    CABLE    ABANDONED. 

Continuing,  Mr.  Seward  told  of  the  proposition  in  1862,  to  connect 
Russia   and   the   United   States   by   an    overland    telegraph    circuit 
through  Alaska,  then  Russian  territory.     The  Russian  government 
acted  in  a  cordial  manner  on  the  proposition,  and  furnished  surve 
for  its  own  territory. 

"In  the  same  year,"  said  Mr.  Seward,  "Simon  Cameron,  who 
preceded  Mr.  Stanton  as  Secretary  of  War,  retired  from  the  War 
Department  and  accepted  the  mission  to  St.  Petersburg.  On  his  ar- 
rival, early  in  the  summer,  he  found  many  evidences  of  friendly  feel- 
ing there  entertained  toward  the  United  States. 

"A  long  conversation  with  the  Emperor,  Alexander  II,  he  wrote, 
showed  not  only  his  profound  interest  in  everything  relating  to  our 
country,  but  his  accurate  knowledge  of  our  situation.  He  declared 
frankly  that  his  sympathies  had  always  been  cordial  with  us,  that 
he  was  very  anxious  that  the  United  States  as  a  nation  should  suffer 
no  diminution  of  power  or  influence;  that  our  interests  and  those  of 
Russia  were  in  many  respects  identical,  and  that  he  was  desirous  to 
hasten,  by  all  means  in  his  power,  the  promise  of  that  telegraph  en- 
terprise which  would  enable  the  two  countries  to  communicate  with 
each  other. 

"The  poles  for  the  telegraph  line  were  cut  and  the  lines  were 
marked,  but  before  any  wires  were  strung  the  Atlantic  cable  proved  a 
success,  so  the  Russo-American  telegraph  project  was  abandoned. 

"The  plans  for  the  telegraph  line  to  connect  the  United  States 
with  Russia  by  way  of  Bering  strait  helped  immensely  to  stimulate 
and  cement  friendliness  between  the  nations  in  question. 

"When  Russia  was  asked  by  France  and  England  to  join  in  pro- 
posals for  mediation  or  intervention  she  steadfastly  declined  to  do  so, 


3i2  THE  GREAT  WAR  IN  THE  EAST. 

unless  the  United  States  would  ask  her  help.  When,  nevertheless,  in- 
tervention seemed  to  be  impending,  Russia  sent  a  fleet  into  American 
waters,  and  that  fleet  passed  the  summer  and  winter  there. 

"What  was  the  purpose  of  that  fleet?  It  was  thought  best  that 
no  official  announcement  of  its  purpose  should  be  made.  Prince 
Gortschakoff  was  a  sagacious  diplomat. 

"He  merely  instructed  the  Russian  Minister  to  say  he  was  sending 
the  fleet  over,  and  that  it  was  there  'for  no  friendly  purpose.'  The 
public  and  the  government  felt  morally  certain  that  while  its  help 
would  probably  not  be  needed,  it  would  be  given  if  it  were  needed. 

"It  was  rumored  and  believed  generally  that  the  commanders  of  the 
fleet  had  sealed  orders,  which  were  not  to  be  broken  until  they  were 
notified  by  the  Russian  Minister  at  Washington." 

COMMERCIAL  RELATIONS  WITH  RUSSIA. 

So  much  for  the  story  of  the  past.  Of  the  present  it  may  be  said 
that  we  sell  Russia  American  products  each  year  ranging  close  to 
$25,000,000,  buying  in  return  about  $2,000,000  worth.  Russia 
reaps  her  enormous  wheat  crops  with  American  made  harvesters. 
She  went  to  war  with  several  American  built  warships  and  with 
others  driven  by  steam  generated  in  American  built  boilers.  One  such 
warship  was  the  ill-starred  Variag,  destroyed  early  in  the  war. 

SENTIMENTAL  RELATIONS  WITH  EACH  CONTESTANT. 

What  the  administration  thought  of  our  relations,  not  only  with 
Russia,  but  with  Japan  as  well,  was  expressed  by  William  H.  Moody, 
Secretary  of  the  Navy.  Speaking  at  the  Lincoln  dinner  given  at  the 
Waldorf-Astoria  in  New  York  city,  with  the  evident  authority  of 
President  Roosevelt,  the  Secretary  of  the  Navy  said : 

"As  we  meet  to-night,  unhappily  there  is  war  upon  the  seas.  We  are 
upon  friendly  terms  with  both  of  the  nations  who  are  engaged  in  the 
conflict.  We  are  attached,  furthermore,  by  bonds  of  the  deepest  sym- 
pathy with  each. 

"The  one  nation  endeared  itself  to  the  hearts  of  every  American 
by  its  expression  of  good  will  toward  us  in  the  days  of  our  sore 


THE  BRIGHT  VIEW  OE   RUSSIA.  313 

trial.  We  do  not  forget  such  friendship.  For  the  other,  we  occupy 
almost  the  position  of  a  foster  mother,  because  it  was  our  navy  that 
broke  through  the  door  of  Eastern  exclusion  and  let  in  the  flood  of 
sunshine  of  modern  civilization. 

"We  have  declared  our  neutrality  in  this  struggle,  and  we  shall 
maintain  it.  We  have  no  interest  except  that  the  war  shall  end  speed- 
ily; no  concern  except  that  it  may  not  bring  into  the  struggle  any 
other  nation  except  those  engaged  at  present.  Gentlemen,  I  can 
assure  you  that  under  no  circumstances  which  I  can  conceive  at 
present  is  there  any  possible  danger  to  the  peace  of  our  own  nation. 

"I  can  assure  you  that  this  nation  and  its  chief  know  well  that 
our  dear  land  loves  well  the  dear  paths  of  peace  and  does  not  wish 
war." 

Senator  Beveridge,  after  his  travels  among  the  Russians,  tells  us 
that  while  the  Russians  do  not  approve  of  republican  institutions 
their  admiration  for  the  American  people  as  a  nation,  of  American 
achievement  in  every  line  of  human  effort,  their  friendship  for  our 
people,  which  scores  of  unprejudiced  American  travelers  have  noted, 
can  &e  seen,  heard,  felt  by  any  visitor  to  any  portion  of  the  empire 
of  the  Czar.  A  few  years  ago  Logan  said :  "No  one  who  has  gone 
among  the  Russians  in  a  spirit  of  amity  can  ever  say  he  was  received 
with  coldness."  Dallas,  our  Minister  there  away  back  in  1838,  dwells 
in  nearly  every  page  of  his  diary  on  the  cordiality,  the  kindness  and 
sympathy  which  met  him  at  every  turn  from  the  emperor,  who  treated 
him  like  a  personal  friend,  to  all  with  whom  he  had  the  slightest 
acquaintance. 

DO  WE  SEE  THROUGH   COLORED  GLASSES? 

Russia  is  very  far  away  from  us.  Is  it  possible  that  some  of  our 
ideas  of  its  government  and  people  can  have  been  colored  for  us  in 
England  and  by  the  Jewish  immigrants  in  our  midst?  Let  us  look 
into  this  for  a  moment.     No  American  can  afford  to  be  unjust. 

In  1S91,  C.  A.  Stoddard  said:   "Many  tales  of  Russian  exiles  and 


3i4  THE  GREAT  WAR  IN  THE  EAST. 

convict  life  are  as  imaginary  as  those  of  the  'Arabian  Nights,'  and 
much  Russian  news  is  manufactured  in  countries  hostile  to  Russia." 
Hear  Guild  of  Boston :  "Much  of  our  information  respecting  Russia 
has  been  tinctured  by  prejudices  and  marred  by  misrepresentation,  as 
the  author  found  from  personal  experience  in  many  respects." 

Another  traveler  in  1897  says:  "A  country  of  unmitigated  gloom 
such  as  others  have  pictured  Russia  to  be  has  never  existed  on  the 
face  of  the  globe  and  never  can  exist.  Wherever  I  went  I  found  the 
national  qualities,  the  same  unity  of  character,  the  same  content  with 
the  powers  that  be,  which  make  Russia  not  a  mere  vast  geographical 
term  but  a  great  nation." 

SCHOOLS    AND   READING. 

But  we  hear  the  Russians  are  a  barbarous  people,  kept  in  ig- 
norance by  their  central  government.  There  are  over  80,000  common 
schools  in  Russia,  over  115,000  teachers  and  four  million  pupils. 
The  reading  room  of  the  public  library  of  St.  Petersburg,  unequaled 
except  by  that  of  the  British  Museum  in  size,  is  open  daily  from  ten 
to  nine.  There  were  over  1,000,000  books  in  that  library  way  back 
fifteen  years  ago,  40,000  manuscripts,  100,000  maps  and  engravings. 

There  is,  however,  in  Russia,  we  are  sagely  informed,  a  dearth  of 
newspapers  and  periodicals.  Yes.  Moscow  has  only  something  over 
one  hundred  periodicals,  and  St.  Petersburg  not  quite  four  hundred. 
Half  a  century  ago  only  one  peasant  in  fifty  could  read  and  write, 
now  one  in  three  who  enter  the  army  can  do  both.  Two  million  chil- 
dren, counting  only  those  who  have  survived  their  first  year,  are 
added  to  the  population  of  Russia  every  year.  It  would  be  quite  an 
undertaking  to  educate  such  numbers  anywhere,  but  the  change  in 
this  respect  in  fifty  years  is  considerable,  is  it  not? 

THE  RUSSIAN   COMMUNAL  SYSTEM. 

In  support  of  the  theory  that  Russia  is  a  barbarous  land,  we  are 
told  the  people  have  no  share  in  the  government.  Russians  will  as- 
sure you  that  the  only  real  democracy  is  their  village  communal  sys- 


THE  BRIGHT  VIEW  OF  RUSSIA.  315 

tern,  wholly  self-governing  as  it  is  except  for  the  fixing  of  the  imperial 
taxes.  The  heads  of  families,  widows,  if  they  be  such,  having  equal 
voice  with  the  men,  come  together  at  the  call  of  an  elder,  elected  viva 
voce  by  themselves,  talk  over  the  allotment  of  the  land  they  hold  in 
common,  arrange  to  make  every  villager  do  his  fair  share  of  its 
work,  pay  his  fair  taxes,  and  the  majority,  good-natured  and  reason- 
able, laugh  or  joke  the  minority  out  of  any  rare  grumpiness  it  may 
show. 

TWO    RUSSIAN    IDEALS. 

Senator  Beveridge  says  one  of  the  two  Russian  ideals  is  the  pre- 
servatism  of  religious  faith,  and  when  the  rest  of  the  world  shall 
have  wearied  of  its  spiritual  conflicts,  the  Greek  church  will  restore 
simple  faith  to  men. 

The  second  Russian  ideal  is  that  when  the  remainder  of  the  world 
shall  have  completed  its  circle  of  liberty,  then  license,  then  anarchy, 
then  the  Russian  will  restore  to  the  confused,  hopeless,  struggling 
peoples  of  the  earth,  those  forms  of  social  order  and  political  author- 
ity which  are  the  foundation  stones  of  civilization.  These  two  ideals 
move  with  a  glacial  tendency  in  a  lethargic  and  multitudinous  people, 
reaching  back  for  centuries,  reaching  forward  for  centuries  more,  on 
and  on,  till  they  cover  Asia,  and  they  move  against  all  reasoning  of 
statesmen,  all  convictions  of  business  interests,  all  protests  of  humani- 
tarianism  of  Russia's  intellectual  men  like  Tolstoi.  The  thing  is  sub- 
conscious in  the  nation,  it  is  a  popular  feeling  so  deep  as  to  be  an  in- 
stinct, propelling  the  Slav  to  carry  the  Czar's  authority  and  the  Mas- 
ter's religion  over  all  the  East.    That  is  the  Russian's  point  of  view. 

THE    CORDIAL    AND    HELPFUL   RUSSIAN. 

"For  myself  nothing  in  Russia  was  like  the  Russia  of  the  press," 
writes  Mary  Gray  Morrison  in  her  defense  of  Russia,  after  touring 
that  country. 

"That  appeared  to  bear  the  same  relation  to  the  reality  I  met  first  at 
St.  Petersburg:  as  Frankenstein's  creation  did  to  a  man.     It  was  mon- 


3i6  THE  GREAT  WAR  IN  THE  EAST. 

strous  ingenious,  but  it  wasn't  Russia.  From  the  moment  that  the  tall 
and  smiling  customs  officer  lifts  his  hat  and  returns  you  your  trunk  key 
after  having  examined  your  baggage  in  the  manner  of  one  to  whom 
your  word  counted  for  something  till  the  last  guide  you  have  em- 
ployed wishes  you  godspeed  and  bows  low  to  lightly  kiss  your  hand, 
there  is  evident  the  wish  that  you  should  feel  welcome  and  at  home. 
The  people  do  not  stare  at  you  in  the  streets  as  they  go  their  grave 
way  up  and  down  the  Nevsky  Prospect,  but  if  you  pause  and  look 
puzzled  instantly  not  far  from  you  figures  pause,  too,  with  kindly 
faces  full  of  intended  helpfulness,  ready  if  you  want  them,  eager  to 
try  to  understand,  to  tell  you,  to  explain,  if  only  signs  may  do  it. 

"Everywhere  is  this  same  cordiality.  The  Emperor  orders  the  gal- 
leries kept  open  at  unwonted  times  because  it  seems  a  pity  tourists 
should  come  so  far  and  be  disappointed.  The  congregation  at  St. 
Isaac's  or  Our  Lady  of  Kazan  in  the  candle-lighted  dusk  and  splendor 
move  aside  when  most  closely  crowded  to  let  a  stranger  see  the  altar 
better,  forming  an  aisle  with  eager  hospitality,  and  when  the  service  is 
over  and  they  file,  prince  and  peasant,  to  kiss  the  images  of  mother 
and  child,  set  round  and  glittering  amidst  gems,  smiling  faces  and 
quick,  inviting  figures  clear  the  way  and  show  you  that  whatever  odd 
form  of  heretic  you  may  be,  you  may  also  go  up  to  these  helpful  pres- 
ences— that  the  benefit  is  quite,  quite  open  to  you. 

KIND   TO   ANIMALS   AND   CHILDREN. 

"With  his  children  and  his  animals  the  Russian  shows  uncon- 
sciously to  a  traveler  the  same  kindliness.  Drosky  driver  and  horse 
have  a  comradeship  that  is  barbarous  perhaps,  but  it  is  pleasant  to  see 
the  animal  rubbing  its  cheek  against  the  man's  rough  sleeve  as  he 
prepares  its  dinner  first  and  then  sits  sociably  close  by  and  eats  his, 
too.  Never  once  anywhere,  in  carriage  or  wagon,  did  I  ever  see  a 
Russian  strike  his  horse.  The  shock  that  Italy  was  in  this  particular 
after  Russia  was  almost  unendurable  to  one  who  cares. 

"The  fathers  and  mothers  all  day  long  in  summer  fill  the  park3  on 


THE  BRIGHT  VIEW  OF  RUSSIA.  317 

Sundays  and  holidays  with  the  children,  carrying  and  playing  with 
them,  entering  fully  into  the  foolish  little  fancies  of  childhood.  At 
the  Theater  of  the  People  of  Nicholas  II.,  usually  called  the  People's 
Palace,  it  is  interesting  to  see  crowds  of  children  in  boxes  reserved 
at  every  performance  in  the  beautiful  opera  house  for  those  from 
orphanages.  On  this  island  in  the  Neva,  given  up  to  the  people's 
pleasures,  every  form  of  healthful  diversion,  including  a  very  splendid 
performance  of  some  opera,  is  to  be  had  for  five  cents,  with  a  solid 
supper,  if  that  is  wanted,  for  less  than  five  cents  more.  We  partook 
of  one  consisting  of  delicious  caviare  sandwiches,  cold  tongue,  rolls, 
cakes,  and  lemonade,  the  bill  for  our  party  of  four  being  twenty-two 
and  one-half  cents.  The  gain  to  temperance  among  the  people  of 
this  palace  can  be  imagined.  I  was  told  that  all  men  who  spent  their 
evenings  there  were  sure  to  appear  at  their  work  next  morning. 

SHOUTING    HOARSE   OVER   RUSSIA'S    HYMN. 

"Anyone  who  doubts  the  love  of  a  Russian  for  his  native  land,  if 
such  a  one  there  be,  should  hear  the  Russian  Hymn  sung  by  principals 
and  chorus  grouped  on  the  large  stage  of  the  opera  house  there,  before 
the  performance,  and  hear  the  enormous  audience  shout  itself  hoarse 
and  demand  the  hymn  again,  and  vainly  attempt  to  have  it  a  third 
time.  I  went  to  see  the  Exchange  of  the  Poor  in  Moscow  one  day,  a 
great  square,  where  those  who  want  work  go,  and  to  which  employers 
resort  for  men  in  any  numbers  they  require.  I  was  assured  that  work 
was  found  for  all  there.  The  city  wagon  with  food  was  just  bringing 
the  waiting  crowd  their  luncheon.  Many  of  the  people  had  samovars, 
and  in  groups  were  making  tea  and  talking  and  eating.  They  come 
often  from  great  distances,  and  in  a  block  of  large  houses  opposite  the 
square  they  can  have  supper  and  breakfast  and  bed  for  fifteen  cents 
of  our  money,  while  they  wait  for  work,  and  in  still  another  block  of 
houses  just  off  the  square  these  necessities  are  given  free  to  needy  la- 
borers at  the  expense  of  rich  Russians. 

"In  this  old  capital,  too,,  is  that  enormous  Foundling  Hospital 
about  which  everyone  knows,  but  what  may  be  new  to  some  readers 


3i8  THE  GREAT  WAR  IN  THE  EAST. 

is  what  I  learned  there,  that  the  children,  after  a  life  in  some  village 
until  they  are  six  years  old,  are  brought  back  to  the  hospital,  ex- 
amined as  to  health  and  intelligence,  and  then  fully  educated  and 
provided  a  place  in  life.  They  absorb  two  ideas  incidentally  during 
this  wardship  by  the  state,  first:  Russia  is  your  father  and  your 
mother;  none  other  have  you  had  but  her.  Second:  Upon  yourself 
individually  will  depend  what  you  rise  to  be;  no  one  will  ask  further 
whence  you  came.  Some  of  the  highest  officers  in  the  army  spent 
their  first  weeks  of  life  in  this  great,  sunny,  cleanly  place,  with 
its  splendid  gardens. 

"This  brings  me  to  a  principle  of  democracy  that  lies  at  the  depths 
of  the  Russian  character,  from  Czar  to  peasant,  which  makes  the  Czar 
choose  a  simple  iron  bed  and  furniture  covered  with  print,  costing 
three  cents  a  yard,  and  which  in  the  service  at  church  provides  no 
seats  for  emperor  or  empress  or  peasant  alike,  because  there  is  no  dis- 
tinction before  God. 

"This  principle  appears  in  the  crowds  of  poor  people  daily  walking 
through  the  palace,  where  priceless  treasures  lie  often  within  the  reach 
of  any  hand,  and  sitting  to  rest  upon  the  rich  furniture  in  the  galleries 
which  is  evidently  put  there  to  be  used.  This  principle  is  what  makes 
Russia  a  country  of  which  an  English  woman  said  she  preferred  it 
above  all  others  in  the  world  because  it  was  so  free — so  utterly  with- 
out snobbishness,  she  meant — so  ready  to  accept  a  man  or  woman  so- 
cially for  what  he  personally  could  contribute  to  it  and  nothing  else. 

"At  the  American  consulate  in  Warsaw  1  was  told  that  the  Russian 
peasant  works  in  the  fields  from  four  in  the  morning  till  half-past 
eight  or  nine  at  night.  He  is  no  financier,  and  the  Jews  buy  of  him 
and  sell  his  grain.  In  his  poor,  ignorant,  slow  head  a  blind  rage  once 
in  a  while  develops  as  he  sees  that  in  some  way  he  cannot  understand 
there  is  injustice,  that  he  gets  almost  nothing  for  his  endless  toil.  A 
Russian  gentleman  added  to  this  the  explanation  that  the  Government 
had  encouraged  Jewish  emigration  of  late  to  help  the  peasant  to  live 
fairly  upon  what  he  had  earned. 


THE  BRIGHT  VIEW  OF  RUSSIA. 


3i9 


"While  we  cry  out  for  The  Hague  tribunal  and  disclaim  war,  in 
general,  do  not  let  us  forget  that  the  world  of  twenty  Christian  cen- 
turies owes  to  the  Emperor  of  Russia  the  suggestion  of  disarmament 
among  nations,  the  latest  as  it  is  the  most  conspicuous  contribution 
toward  the  possibility  of  peace  on  earth." 


The  bear  that  hugs  like  a  man — only  tighter. 


j^^"" 


RUSSIA--"  NO  FAIR!     I  WASN'T  READY." 

Drawn  by  Cartoonist  Kehse,  of  the  St.  Paul  Pioneer-Press. 
Two  weeks  after  the  opening  of  hostilities  Russia  sent  a  formal  protest  to  all  the  great  powers 
against  the  alleged  violation  by  Japan  of  the  principles  of  international  law  In  attacking 
her  fleet  at  Port  Arthur  without  a  specific  declaration  of  war. 


CHAPTER  XXIII. 
RUSSIA'S  MENACING  POWER. 

Remarkable  Prediction  of  a  French  Writer — Prophecies  of  a  Great  Historian — A 
Note  of  Warning— Official  Relations  with  Russia— Russia  Apparently  Check- 
mated— Abolished  the  Serfdom  of  the  Press. 

THE  views  regarding  Russia  given  in  the  preceding  chapter  are 
in  curious  contrast  with  those  of  a  distinguished  English 
writer  who  recently  declared  of  the  land  of  the  Nihilist : 
"The  future  history  of  Russia  will  be  the  history  of  the  Erench  rev- 
olution over  again,  with  this  difference — that  the  educated  classes,  the 
thinkers,  who  are  pushing  forward  the  dumb  masses,  are  doing  so  with 
their  eyes  open.  There  will  be  no  Mirabeau,  no  Danton,  to  be  ap- 
palled at  the  people's  ingratitude.  The  men  who  to-day  are  working 
for  revolution  in  Russia  number  among  their  ranks  statesmen,  soldiers, 
delicately  nurtured  women,  rich  landowners,  prosperous  tradesmen, 
students  familiar  with  the  lessons  of  history.  They  have  no  miscon- 
ceptions concerning  the  blind  Frankenstein  into  which  they  are  breath- 
ing life.  He  will  crush  them;  they  know  it.  But  with  them  he  will 
crush  the  injustice  and  stupidity  they  have  grown  to  hate  better  than 
they  love  themselves.  The  Russian  peasant  when  he  rises  will  prove 
more  terrible,  more  pitiless  than  were  the  men  of  1790.  He  is  less 
intelligent,  more  brutal." 

SHALL  THE  PACIFIC   BE  RUSSIAN   OR  ANGLO-SAXON  ? 

A  number  of  years  ago  Judge  Emery  Speer,  of  Georgia,  on  the 

bench   of   the  United    States   Court   of   Appeals,    spoke   as    follows: 

321 


322  THE  GREAT  WAR  IN  THE  EAST. 

"Events  have  not  altogether  verified  the  famous  remark  of  Napoleon, 
that  in  fifty  years  Europe  would  be  republican  or  Cossack,  but  repub- 
lican and  Cossack  have  at  length  met  for  a  trial  of  strength.  The 
guerdon  of  the  struggle  is  twofold;  shall  the  commerce  of  Asia  be 
open  to  the  world,  or  shall  it  be  dominated  by  the  Slav?  Shall  the 
Pacific  Ocean  be  a  Russian  or  an  Anglo-Saxon  sea?  As  the  control 
of  this  great  ocean,  which  has  been  justly  termed  the  theater  of  events 
in  the  world's  great  hereafter,  shall  be  settled,  so  likewise  will  be  the 
power  and  prestige  of  our  country. 

"We  have  seen  that  the  trade  of  the  Orient  is  essential  to  the  dis- 
tribution of  our  surplus  products.  This  distribution  failing,  reaction- 
ary movements  on  all  lines  and  national  decadence  will  inevitably  re- 
sult. Profound  was  the  observation  of  Sir  Walter  Raleigh :  'Who- 
soever commands  the  sea  commands  trade,  and  whosoever  commands 
the  trade  of  the  world,  commands  the  riches  of  the  world,  and  conse- 
quently the  world  itself.' 

"There  has  been  a  remarkable  parallel  in  the  development  of  power 
between  the  English-speaking  and  the  Slavonic  races.  In  Russia  east- 
ward, and  in  America  and  the  British  possessions  westward  the  star 
of  empire  takes  its  way.  Utterly  conflicting  in  theories  of  govern- 
ment, the  Anglo-Saxon  is  the  chief  bulwark  of  civil  and  religious 
liberty  on  earth,  the  Slav  the  representative  of  despotism  in  state  and 
church.  The  Anglo-Saxon  bases  his  civilization  on  the  development 
of  the  individual,  and  Russia  in  all  of  its  history  has  relied  upon  his 
suppression. 

REMARKABLE  PREDICTION  OF  A  FRENCH   WRITER. 

"A  French  writer  has  predicted  that  a  hundred  years  hence,  leav- 
ing China  out  of  the  question,  there  will  be  two  colossal  powers  in 
the  world,  beside  which  Germany,  England  and  France  will  be  as 
pigmies,  the  United  States  and  Russia.  Tf  this  prediction  be  true, 
and  China  cannot  be  left  out  of  the  question;  if  Great  Britain,  in  her 
isolation,  is  to  meet  her  downfall,  if  our  republic,  great  as  it  is,  is  to 
remain    the  sole  obstacle    to    the    ever-progressing,  steady-grinding, 


RUSSIA'S  MENACING  POWER.  323 

glacier-like  movement  of  Slavonic  power,  it  will  result  from  trivial 
jealousies,  from  baseless  prejudices,  and  an  ignoble  rancor  for  past 
differences  between  the  two  great  members  of  the  Anglo-Saxon  race, 
with  a  common  blood,  a  common  history,  a  common  freedom  of  re- 
ligion, a  common  liberty  of  conscience,  a  common  literature,  a  com- 
mon language;  and  the  spectacle  will  present  the  inexpiable  crime  of 
the  ages.  Nor  are  these  contingencies  of  the  future  merely  con- 
jectural. 

THE  POLICY  OF  RUSSIA. 

"The  empire  of  the  Great  White  Czar  now  includes  all  that  terri- 
tory of  the  world's  surface  where  were  hatched  those  devouring 
swarms  from  the  northern  hive  which  in  ages  past  have  often  changed 
the  fate  of  nations  and  the  maps  of  Asia  and  Europe.  The  cabinet 
of  Russia,  from  the  time  when  that  gigantic  power  stood  forth  as  a 
portent  to  the  surrounding  nations,  has  been  governed  by  a  consistent, 
unvarying  principle. 

"  'It  rests,'  said  the  historian  Alison,  'on  a  combination  of  physical 
strength  with  diplomatic  address,  of  perseverance  in  object  with  ver- 
satility of  means,  which  was  never  before  exhibited  on  the  theater  of 
the  world.' 

"Said  the  Russian  historian,  Karamsin,  with  a  frankness  almost 
brutal :  'The  object  and  the  character  of  our  military  policy  has  in- 
variably been  to  seek  to  be  at  peace  with  everybody  and  to  make  con- 
quests without  war;  always  keeping  on  the  defensive,  placing  no 
faith  in  the  friendship  of  those  whose  interests  do  not  accord  with 
our  own,  and  losing  no  opportunity  of  injuring  them  without  osten- 
sibly breaking  our  treaties  with  them.' 

"While  the  cool,  imperturbable  policy  of  the  government  never 
makes  it  anticipate  the  period  of  action,  and  never  relaxes  the  sinews 
of  preparation,  the  inextinguishable  passion  for  conquest  among  the 
masses  of  the  Russian  people  respond  with  enthusiasm  to  every  ag- 
gressive disposition  of  the  Czar.  'The  meanest  peasant  in  Russia.' 
says  Alison,  'is  impressed  with  the  belief  that  his  country  is  destined 


324  THE  GREAT  WAR  IN  THE  EAST. 

to  subdue  the  world.  The  rudest  nomad  of  the  steppes  pants  for  the 
period  when  a  second  Timur  is  to  open  the  gates  of  Derbend  and  let 
loose  upon  Southern  Asia  the  long-pent-up  forces  of  the  northern 
wilds.' 

PROPHECIES   OF   A   GREAT    HISTORIAN. 

"The  physical  power  of  Russia  is  commensurate  with  the  vast 
schemes  of  aggrandisement  of  its  government,  and  if  equaled  at  all  is 
equaled  alone  by  the  combined  development  of  all  the  English  speak- 
ing people.  Writing  in  1842  Alison  predicted  that  in  1900  Russia 
would  have  a  population  of  120,000,000.  In  1900  its  population  was 
136,000,000.  It  has  been  little  more  than  200  years  since  Peter  the 
Great  mounted  the  throne  of  Russia.  This  is  but  a  brief  span  in  his- 
tory. There  are  many  present  whose  grandfathers  and  some  whose 
fathers  might  have  talked  with  Gen.  Oglethorpe,  the  noble  founder 
of  Georgia,  and  Gen.  Oglethorpe  might  have  talked  with  Peter  the 
Great.  When  that  ferocious  Muscovite  resolved  to  arouse  the  latent 
forces  of  his  empire,  Russia  had  no  seaport  save  frozen  Archangel 
on  the  Arctic  sea,  and  the  Russian  power  was  given  as  little  consid- 
eration by  the  cabinets  of  Europe  as  we  now  give  to  the  Imaun  of 
Muscat  or  the  Ahkound  of  Swat. 

BEGINNING    OF    RUSSIAN    NAVY. 

"With  his  own  hand  Peter  aided  in  the  construction  of  the  small 
and  rude  vessel,  yet  religiously  preserved  by  the  Russians,  which  was 
the  foundation  of  their  magnificent  navy,  now  on  all  the  oceans  the 
third  in  power.  Now,  three  mighty  seas,  the  Caspian,  the  Euxine  and 
the  Baltic,  are  practically  Russian  lakes.  Rapidly  is  she  extending 
her  influence  over  Persia  and  forging  her  way  to  harbors  on  the  flank 
of  England's  communications  with  her  Indian  possessions. 

"When  she  is  ready  Turkey  and  all  the  powers  of  Europe  com- 
bined cannot  prevent  her  from' seizing  Constantinople  and  the  Darda- 
nelles. Pier  Trans-Siberian  Railway,  the  longest  in  the  world,  is 
practically  completed  to  that  great  fortress  on  the  Pacific,  Vladivostok, 
whose  very  name  imports  'the  dominator  of  the  East,'  and  its  Man- 


RUSSIA'S  MENACING   POWER.  325 

churian  branch  is  rapidly  approaching  unsurpassed  Port  Arthur,  which 
bears  a  relation  to  North  China  scarcely  less  important  than  that  of 
New  York  to  the  Middle  and  Eastern  States  of  our  Union.  'Russia,' 
said  a  modern  writer  who  lived  much  among  its  people,  'does  not  covet 
India,  but  she  does  intend  to  appropriate,  and  imagines  that  Provi- 
dence has  appointed  her  to  possess  Persia,  Turkey,  Afghanistan, 
Tibet  and  China.'  In  the  light  of  recent  events  who  can  gainsay  the 
truth  of  this  observation  ? 

"Well  may  we  accept  the  eloquent  statement  of  Alison :  'Never 
since  the  god  Terminus  first  receded  with  the  Roman  eagles  in  the 
provinces  beyond  the  Euphrates,  has  so  steady  and  uninterrupted  ad- 
vance been  made  by  any  empire  towards  universal  dominion ;  and 
it  is  hard  to  say  whether  it  has  prevailed  most  by  the  ability  of  diplo- 
matic address  or  the  vigor  of  warlike  achievement.' 

"Than  Napoleon  Bonaparte  no  member  of  the  human  race  has  ever 
been  better  fitted  both  by  genius  and  experience  to  estimate  the  power 
of  Russia.  In  the  seclusion  of  his  imprisonment  at  St.  Helena,  with 
all  the  experience  of  his  marvelous  history,  his  profound  genius  no 
longer  disturbed  by  the  phantoms  of  ambition,  he  exclaimed  to  his  de- 
voted Las  Casas :  'Russia  is  like  the  Antaeus  of  the  fable,  which  can 
not  be  overcome  but  by  seizing  it  by  the  middle  and  stifling  it  in  the 
arms.  But  where,'  said  he,  'is  the  Hercules  to  be  found  who  will  at- 
tempt such  an  enterprise?' 

"But  the  imagination  even  of  Napoleon  could  not  conceive  the 
evolution  of  national  power  in  Russia  since  these  words  wore  uttered, 
and  yet  he  did  not  overestimate  the  heroic,  imperturbable  courage  of 
the  Russian  character.  He  recalled  the  blood  and  carnage  of  Eylau, 
the  incarnadined  redoubts  of  Smolensko  and  Borodino,  the  flames  of 
Moscow,  the  piteous  destruction  of  his  grand  army,  and  the  terrible 
passage  of  the  bridge  of  the  Beresina.  In  spite  of  his  military  genius, 
in  spite  of  the  heroism  of  his  grenadiers,  who  had  borne  the  French 
eagles  from  the  steeples  of  Notre  Dame  to  the  towers  of  every  capi- 
tal in  Europe,  he  knew  that  the  Cossacks  of  the  Don  had  lighted  their 


326  THE  GREAT  WAR  IN  THE  EAST. 

bivouac  fires  on  the  Champs  Elysee  and  tethered  their  ponies  amid 
the  palms  and  roses  in  the  gardens  of  the  Tuilleries. 

"Nor  are  their  soldiers  more  heroic  than  their  sailors.  Said  Lord 
Nelson,  the  greatest  sea  captain  of  the  English  race :  'Lay  yourselves 
alongside  a  Frenchman,  but  outmaneuver  a  Russian.' 

A  NOTE  OF  WARNING. 

"With  all  the  wealth  and  might  of  the  great  American  republic, 
our  statesmen  cannot  afford  indifference  to  the  determined  aggressions 
of  this  gigantic  Asiatic  power.  Yes,  Asiatic!  'Africa,'  said  Victor 
Hugo,  'begins  at  the  Pyrenees,'  and  we  may  add  that  Asia  extends 
to  the  banks  of  the  Niemen  and  to  the  mouths  of  the  Danube.  Said 
Napoleon,  'Grattez  le  Russe,  et  trouverez  le  Tartare'  ('Scratch  a  Rus- 
sian and  you  find  a  Tartar'). 

"Men  speak  of  the  traditional  friendship  of  Russia  with  the  United 
States.  It  is,  and  has  ever  been,  meretricious.  The  cords  that  bind 
us  have  been  ropes  of  sand.  Friendship  is  impossible  between  indi- 
vidual liberty  and  absolutism,  between  autocracy  and  representative 
government.  Even  now  the  most  serious  blows  to  our  commerce  have 
of  late  been  aimed  by  the  Russian  ministry  (the  day  these  words  were 
spoken  Russia  imposed  new  and  prohibitive  duties  on  American  naval 
stores  and  bicycles),  and  had  the  territories  of  the  United  States  been 
accessible  to  them  our  fair  land  of  freedom  would  have  been  harried 
and  ravaged  by  the  soldiers  of  the  Czar,  in  whose  hands  the  machine 
gun  and  the  breech-loader  have  been  but  substituted  for  the  lance  of 
the  Cossack  and  the  sword  and  bow  of  the  Scythian,  unless  indeed  the 
dauntless  soul  and  strong  arm  of  the  sons  of  America  had  hurled 
them  back  shattered  and  bleeding  to  their  regions  of  ices  and  snows." 

OFFICIAL  RELATIONS. WITH    RUSSIA. 

These  citations  will  serve  amply  to  illustrate  the  broad  latitude  as- 
sumed by  Americans  in  the  expression  of  sentiment  for  and  against 
Russia.  It  still  leaves  the  reader  incapable  of  forming  any  estimate 
of  American  feeling  save  his  own.    In  our  official  relations  with  Rus- 


RUSSIA'S   MENACING  POWER.  327 

sia,  it  is  different.  The  United  States  has  always  stood  for  the  "open 
door"  in  the  far  East — equal  trade  advantages  with  all.  Just  before 
the  opening  of  the  war,  the  United  States  Government  again  laid  down 
that  it  is  "irrevocably  committed  to  the  policy  of  the  open  door,"  se- 
curing for  its  commerce  free  entry  into  Manchuria  and  other  parts 
of  China,  as  well  as  in  Korea,  free  entry  through  specified  port;. 
How  rapidly  America's  commercial  interests  are  growing  may  be 
gauged  from  the  fact  that  American  exports  to  China — a  large  part 
of  which  have  gone  to  Manchuria — were  computed  to  have  increased 
from  $4,000,000  in  1893  to  $^4,ooo,oco  in  1903,  although  that  ex- 
port trade  with  China,  owing  to  the  abnormal  condition  of  Man- 
churia, fell  off  by  some  $7,000,000  in  the  ten  months  ended  October 
30,  1903,  compared  with  the  corresponding  period  in  1902.  Having 
secured  certain  rights  of  open  trade  in  the  Chinese  Empire,  including 
Manchuria,  and  obtained  recognition  by  the  European  powers  of  the 
principles  of  the  open  door  as  put  forward  by  Secretary  Hay  in  his 
negotiations  of  1899- 1900,  the  United  States  readily  declared  neu- 
trality when  the  struggle  opened. 

RUSSIA    APPARENTLY    CHECKMATED. 

Possibilities  of  a  diplomatic  breach  with  Russia  followed  a  note  ad- 
dressed by  Secretary  Hay  to  the  powers,  seeking  to  commit  them  to 
a  policy  of  confining  the  field  of  hostilities  to  the  territory  in  dis- 
pute and  to  guarantee  China  against  complications  and  further  par- 
tition. Each  revolution  in  the  wheel  of  diplomatic  events  makes  it 
more  apparent  that  Secretary  Hay  played  a  strong  card  skilfully  when 
lie  dispatched  his  note  concerning  the  neutrality  of  China  to  the  gov- 
ernments at  St.  Petersburg,  Tokyo  and  Pekin.  It  was  not  to  be 
doubted  that  the  powers  would  assent  to  the  propriety  of  confining 
the  actual  hostilities  in  the  far  East  to  as  small  an  area  as  possible. 
The  advantages  of  such  a  plan,  to  the  belligerents  and  the  Bone  of 
Contention  as  well  as  to  the  world  at  large,  were  evident. 

But  the  crucial  passage  in  the  Hay  pronouncement  was  the  expres- 


328  THE  GREAT  WAR  IN  THE  EAST. 

sion  of  the  desires  of  the  United  States  with  regard  to  the  Chinese 
Empire.  The  language  of  the  note  in  this  respect  was  deftly  vague. 
It  was  impossible  for  the  nations  addressed  to  take  umbrage,  and  had 
they  ventured  to  flatly  refuse  the  principle  implied  they  would  have 
been  put  in  a  position  of  avowing  intentions  which  none  of  them, 
Russia  least  of  all,  was  willing  to  avow.  The  result  is  that  both  Rus- 
sia and  Japan  virtually  acquiesced  in  the  idea  that,  no  matter  what 
the  outcome  of  their  struggle,  the  territorial  extent  of  China  was  not 
to  be  diminished. 

This  move  made  by  the  United  States  almost  certainly  had  the  ef- 
fect of  seriously  disarranging  the  plans  of  Russia  in  the  Orient,  as- 
suming that  Russia  sought  further  expansion  in  Asia. 

Without  assuming  the  least  degree  of  hostility,  and  without  im- 
pugning the  motives  of  any  nation,  Mr.  Hay  rendered  seemingly  im- 
passable one  of  the  main  roads  over  which  Russia  was  credited  with 
having  hoped  to  march  to  hegemony  in  the  far  East.  Without  other 
apparent  thought  than  the  welfare  of  civilization,  he  apparently  check- 
mated a  body  of  men  who  are  reckoned  the  shrewdest  of  shrewd  dip- 
lomats. 

Russia's  answer  in  reply  was  practically  the  same  as  those  of  the 
other  powers,  recognizing  the  neutrality  of  China,  with  the  exception 
of  Manchuria.  The  terms  of  the  Russian  reply  were  substantially 
as  follows : 

"Russia  will  be  glad  to  join  with  the  other  powers  in  the  recognition 
of  Chinese  neutrality  on  three  conditions : 

"First — That  China  shall  maintain  neutrality. 

"Second — That  Japan  shall  loyally  support  this  neutrality. 

"Third — That  Manchuria,  being  the  field  of  military  operations, 
shall   not    be    included." 

ABOLISHED    THE    SERFDOM    OF    THE    FRESS. 

On  the  same  day  the  important  reply  was  formulated  and  when  the 
press  of  the  world  was  a  unit  in  declaring  Russia  incensed  because  of 
American  "interference,"  the  Russian  Government  abolished  the  cen- 


RUSSIA'S  MENACING  POWER.  329 

sorship  upon  all  news  and  other  telegrams  going  abroad.  The  lift- 
ing of  the  embargo  which  had  existed,  to  a  greater  or  less  degree,  for 
generations  upon  the  free  transmission  of  news  from  Russia  came  as 
a  direct  result  of  consideration  of  the  subject  by  the  Czar.  In  some 
respects  the  action  was  regarded  abroad  as  the  most  important  act 
since  the  emancipation  of  the  serfs. 

It  was  through  American  influences  that  the  decision  was  reached, 
contradicting  forcibly  the  reports  concerning  unfriendly  sentiment  to- 
ward Americans  in  Russia. 

"For  years,"  said  a  prominent  Russian,  "our  country  has  been  the 
victim  of  every  imaginable  slander  and  misrepresentation  because  it 
was  known  that  telegrams  addressed  to  foreign  news  sources  went 
through  the  hands  of  the  Russian  censor.  Any  story,  no  matter  how 
baseless  or  exaggerated,  that  was  sent  surreptitiously  across  the 
border,  was  greedily  accepted  abroad  as  true  because  the  government 
would  not  put  its  official  stamp  upon  it. 

"Regular  anti-Russian  news  factories  have  been  in  operation  in 
Berlin,  Vienna  and  elsewhere,  and  these  have  spread  the  most  absurd 
and  preposterous  libels.  Every  act  of  the  government  has  been  twisted 
and  distorted.  Insignificant  student  affairs  or  workmen's  riots  have 
been  magnified  into  great  movements  of  popular  discontent  until  cer- 
tain portions  of  the  world  have  been  ready  to  believe  that  Russia  was 
perpetually  on  the  eve  of  a  great  revolution. 

"Some  English  newspapers  especially  have  conducted  systematic 
campaigns  against  us.  Moreover,  the  fact  that  dispatches  were  cen- 
sored has  often  been  interpreted  as  semi-official  authorization,  when 
perhaps  they  in  no  sense  represented  the  view  of  the  government. 
Hereafter  the  correspondents  of  foreign  newspapers  will  be  untram- 
meled.  We  expect  to  see  Russia  presented  in  her  true  light.  The 
opening  of  the  flood  gates  may  result  in  the  evilly  disposed  stirring 
up  as  much  mud  as  possible  at  first,  but  we  are  not  afraid  to  have  the 
light  turned  on." 

Foreign  telegrams  until  a  short  time  before  were  under  censorship 


330 


THE  GREAT  WAR  IN  THE  EAST. 


of  the  Ministry  of  Foreign  Affairs,  but  since  the  death  of  M.  Gretch, 
who  was  at  one  time  connected  with  the  Russian  embassy  at  Washing- 
ton, the  censorship  had  been  temporarily  under  the  Ministry  of  the 
Interior. 

News  telegrams  addressed  to  foreign  sources  originating  in  the  most 
distant  parts  of  the  empire,  Vladivostok,  for  example,  or  Odessa,  were 
formerly  telegraphed  to  St.  Petersburg,  to  be  passed  on.  M.  Plehve, 
minister  of  the  interior,  and  Count  Lamsdorff,  the  foreign  minister, 
both  joined  in  the  recommendation  that  the  censorship  be  abolished. 

The  internal  censorship  was  regained,  but  foreign  dispatches  were 
made  free.  Inasmuch  as  a  state  of  war  existed  telegrams  from  the 
theater  of  hostilities  were  subjected  to  the  same  kind  of  military  cen- 
sorship enforced  in  all  countries  under  similar  circumstances. 


JOHN  BULL— "Drop  those  chickens,  you  scoundrel!" 


CHAPTER  XXIV. 
RUSSIA'S  PROTEST  AND  JAPAN'S  REPLY. 

Is  a  Formal  War  Declaration  Necessary? — The  Chemulpo  Attack  Examined — Korea 
Declared  Neutrality — France  Upheld  Russia's  Views — Poor  Korea  Mildly 
Protests — Japan's  Formal  Reply  to  Russia — Refused  to  Meet  Proposals — 
Busy  Preparing  for  War — Responsibility  with  Russia. 

ON  Feb.  23,  1904,  the  Russian  government  called  the  attention  of 
neutral  governments  to  two  instances  of  alleged  violation  of  the 
law  of  nations  by  Japan.  One  of  them  was  the  attack  on  the 
Russian  fleet  at  Port  Arthur  on  the  evening  of  Feb.  8-9,  and  the  other 
the  demand  that  the  two  Russian  cruisers  should  leave  the  neutral  port 
of  Chemulpo  to  fight  a  superior  Japanese  fleet  under  penalty  of  attack 
within  the  harbor.  It  was  asserted  that  the  law  of  nations  was  vio- 
lated in  both  instances,  because,  at  the  time,  there  had  been  no  formal 
declaration  of  war,  and  the  Japanese  minister  at  St.  Petersburg  and 
the  Russian  minister  at  Tokyo  had  not  left  their  posts. 

IS  A  FORMAL  WAR  DECLARATION   NECESSARY? 

The  good  faith  of  the  Russian  government  in  sending  the  note 
cannot  be  questioned.  Doubtless  it  believed  the  law  of  nations  had 
been  violated  and  was  the  more  inclined  to  complain  because  the  con- 
sequences had  been  disastrous  to  Russia.  But  the  contention  that  a 
formal  declaration  of  war  must  precede  active  hostilities  cannot  be 
admitted.  It  was  customary  once,  but  is  so  no  longer.  Russia  herself 
has  not  invariably  prefaced  active  hostilities  with  a  formal  declaration 
of  war.     An  eminent  American  authority  on  international  law  says : 

33i 


332  THE  GREAT  WAR  IN  THE  EAST. 

"This  disuse  of  declarations  does  not  grow  out  of  an  intention  to 
take  the  enemy  at  unawares,  which  would  imply  an  extreme  degrada- 
tion of  moral  principle,  but  out  of  the  publicity  and  circulation  of  intel- 
ligence peculiar  to  modern  times.  States  have  now  resident  ambassa- 
dors within  each  other's  bounds  who  are  accurately  informed  in  regard 
to  the  probabilities  of  war,  and  can  forewarn  their  countrymen.  War 
is  for  the  most  part  the  end  of  a  long  thread  of  negotiations  and  can 
be  generally  foreseen." 

On  Feb.  7  negotiations  between  Russia  and  Japan  came  to  a  sud- 
den end.  The  Japanese  government  ordered  the  Russian  minister 
to  leave  Tokyo  and  told  its  minister  to  Russia  to  ask  ior  his  passports. 
That  news  was  printed  in  the  great  centers  of  the  world  on  the  morn- 
ing of  the  8th.  It  was  known  at  St.  Petersburg  on  that  date,  and  if 
the  Russian  government  did  not  notify  Admiral  Alexieff  and  order 
him  to  be  on  his  guard  it  was  inexcusably  remiss.  Under  the  cir- 
cumstances the  breaking  off  of  diplomatic  relations  was  a  declaration 
of  war.  It  made  no  difference  that  the  Russian  and  Japanese  minis- 
ters had  not  left  Tokyo  and  St.  Petersburg.  Their  functions  were 
at  an  end. 

THE  CHEMULPO  ATTACK  EXAMINED. 

The  demand  of  the  stronger  Japanese  fleet  that  the  two  Rus- 
sian cruisers  should  leave  the  neutral  Korean  harbor  of  Chemulpo 
and  go  to  meet  certain  destruction  seemed  cruel  to  tender-hearted  peo- 
ple. If  the  Russians  had  refused  to  come  out  and  the  Japanese  fleet 
had  entered  the  harbor  and  attacked  them  it  would  have  done  what  the 
English  did  when  they  sunk  the  American  frigate  Essex  in  the  neutral 
harbor  of  Valparaiso  or  what  Capt.  Collins  of  the  Wachusett  did 
when  he  entered  the  neutral  port  of  Bahia  and  captured  the  confederate 
privateer  Florida,  which  was  at  anchor  there  and  would  not  come 
out  to  fight. 

The  law  (if  nations  is  that  when  a  ship  of  war  of  a  belligerent  enters 
a  neutral  port  it  shall  be  required  to  leave  in  twenty-four  hours  except 
in  case  of  stress  of  weather  or  when  it  has  to  make  necessary  repairs. 


RUSSIA'S  PROTEST  AND  JAPAN'S  REPLY.  333 

It  was  because  of  that  rule  that  the  Japanese  government  would 
have  called  the  attention  of  France  to  the  fact  that  Russian  vessels 
were  staying  too  long  at  Jibutil  in  French  Somaliland,  if  they  had  not 
been  ordered  back  to  the  Baltic.  It  is  because  of  that  rule  that  the 
Japanese  asked  the  Chinese  authorities  to  order  the  Russian  gunboat 
Mandjui  to  leave  Shanghai. 

The  Russian  cruisers  which  were  at  Chemulpo  were  sunk  on  the 
9th.  If  they  had  been  in  any  port  except  a  Korean  one  Japan  would 
not  have  ordered  them  to  leave  or  threatened  to  go  in  after  them 
if  they  did  not.  Japan  did  not  look  on  Korea  as  a  neutral  nation.  It 
looked  on  Korea  as  a  seat  of  war,  and  was  of  the  opinion  that  it 
had  a  right  to  make  short  work  of  any  of  the  enemy's  ships  found  in 
its  harbors. 

The  truth  is,  Russia  should  have  been  on  the  alert.  It  should  have 
struck,  if  in  a  position  to  do  so,  the  moment  the  news  came  of  the 
rupture  of  diplomatic  relations  and  let  the  Japanese  government 
complain  of  violations  of  the  law  of  nations.  Probably  that  govern- 
ment would  not  have  said-  a  word  if  it  had  been  dealt  the  first  blow. 
Russia's  formal  protest. 

The  formal  protest  of  Foreign  Minister  Lamsdorff  to  the  powers 
representing  that  Japan  violated  the  laws  of  nations,  which  was  given 
to  the  Russian  representatives  in  foreign  capitals,  says : 

"Since  the  rupture  of  the  negotiations  between  Russia  and  Japan  the 
attitude  of  the  Tokyo  cabinet  has  constituted  open  violation  of  all  cus- 
tomary laws  governing  the  mutual  relations  of  civilized  nations. 
Without  specifying  each  particular  violation  of  these  laws  on  the  part 
of  Japan  the  imperial  government  considers  it  necessary  to  draw 
the  most  serious  attention  of  the  powers  to  the  acts  of  violence  com- 
mitted by  the  Japanese  government  with  respect  to  Korea. 

"The  independence  and  integrity  of  Korea,  as  a  fully  independent 
empire,  has  been  fully  recognized  by  all  the  powers,  and  the  inviola- 
bility of  this  fundamntal  principle  was  confirmed  by  article  1  of  the 
Shimonoseka  treaty  and  by  the  agreement  especially  concluded   for 


334  THE  GREAT  WAR  IN  THE  EAST. 

this  purpose  between  Japan  and  Great  Britain  on  Jan.  30,  1902,  as  well 
as  by  the  Franco-Russian  declaration  of  March  16,  1902. 

KOREA  DECLARED  NEUTRALITY. 

"The  Emperor  of  Korea,  foreseeing  the  danger  of  a  possible  con- 
flict between  Russia  and  Japan,  addressed  early  in  January,  1904,  a 
note  to  all  the  powers  declaring  his  determination  to  preserve  the 
strictest  neutrality.  This  declaration  was  received  with  satisfaction 
by  the  powers,  and  it  was  ratified  by  Russia.  According  to  the  Rus- 
sian minister  to  Korea,  the  British  government  charged  the  British 
diplomatic  representative  at  Seoul  to  present  an  official  note  to  the 
Emperor  of  Korea  thanking  him  for  his  declaration  of  neutrality. 

"In  disregard  of  all  these  facts,  in  spite  of  all  treaties,  in  spite  of  its 
obligations,  and  in  violation  of  the  fundamental  rules  of  international 
law,  it  has  been  proved  by  exact  and  fully  confirmed  facts  that  the 
Japanese  government — 

"First,  before  the  opening  of  hostilities  against  Russia,  landed  ite 
troops  in  the  independent  empire  of  Korea,  which  had  declared  its 
neutrality. 

"Second,  with  a  division  of  its  fleet  it  made  a  sudden  attack  on  Feb. 
8 — that  is,  three  days  prior  to  the  declaration  of  war — on  two  Russian 
warships  in  the  neutral  port  of  Chemulpo.  The  commanders  of  these 
ships  had  not  been  notified  of  the  severance  of  diplomatic  relations, 
as  the  Japanese  maliciously  stopped  the  delivery  of  Russian  telegrams 
by  the  Danish  cable,  and  destroyed  the  telegraphic  communication  of 
the  Korean  government.  The  details  of  this  dastardly  attack  are  con- 
tained and  published  in  an  official  telegram  from  the  Russian  minister 
at  Seoul. 

"Third,  in  spite  of  the  international  laws  above  mentioned,  and 
shortly  before  the  opening  of  hostilities  the  Japanese  captured  as 
prizes  of  war  certain  Russian  merchant  ships  in  neutral  ports  of 
Korea. 

"Fourth,  Japan  declared  to  the  Emperor  of  Korea,  through  the 
Japanese  minister  at  Seoul,  that  Korea  would  henceforth  be  under 


RUSSIA'S  PROTEST  AND  JAPAN'S  REPLY.  335 

Japanese  administration,  and  she  warned  the  Emperor  that  in  case 
of  his  non-compliance  Japanese  troops  would  occupy  the  palace. 

"Fifth,  through  the  French  minister  at  Seoul  she  summoned  the 
Russian  representative  at  the  Korean  court  to  leave  the  country,  with 
the  staffs  of  the  Russian  legation  and  consulate. 

FORMAL  PROTEST  IS  LODGED. 

"Recognizing  that  all  the  above  facts  constitute  a  flagrant  breach 
of  international  law,  the  imperial  government  considers  it  its  duty  to 
lodge  a  protest  with  all  the  powers  against  this  procedure  of  the 
Japanese  government,  and  it  is  firmly  convinced  that  all  the  powers, 
valuing  the  principles  which  guarantee  their  relations,  will  agree  with 
the  Russian  attitude. 

"At  the  same  time  the  imperial  government  considers  it  necessary  to 
issue  a  timely  warning  that,  owing  to  Japan's  illegal  assumption  of 
power  in  Korea,  the  government  declares  all  orders  and  declarations 
which  may  be  issued  on  the  part  of  the  Korean  government  to  be 
invalid. 

"I  beg  you  to  communicate  this  document  to  the  governments  to 
which  you  are  accredited." 

FRANCE    UPHELD    RUSSIANS    VIEWS. 

Naturally  Russia  had  the  sympathetic  support  of  France  in  the 
former's  representation  to  the  powers  that  Japan  was  guilty  of  a  viola- 
tion of  international  law  in  the  instances  and  manner  above  specified. 

No  intention  was  shown,  however,  in  official  circles  to  take  up  the 
Russian  note  on  the  subject  with  the  view  of  pressing  action  by  the 
powers,  and  it  was  said  that  nothing  effective  could  be  done  in  that 
direction.  France  was  satisfied  from  the  first  of  the  unjustifiability 
of  the  Japanese  action,  and  was  anxious  that  the  other  powers  should 
come  to  appreciate  the  enormity  of  the  offense. 

POINT  TO  SPECIFIC   OFFENSE. 

In  this  connection  attention  was  called  to  the  occupation  of  Korea 
by  Japanese  troops,  in  spite  of  the  declaration  of  Korean  neutrality, 


336  THE  GREAT  WAR  IN  THE  EAST. 

which  was  communicated  to  all  the  neutral  powers  as  well  as  to  the 
belligerents.  It  was  pointed  out  that  Japan  had  not  hesitated  to  throw 
troops  into  Korea  and  to  establish  a  base  there.  It  was  suggested  in 
diplomatic  circles  that  France,  which  had  been  charged  with  the  pro- 
tection of  Russian  interests  in  Korea,  could  properly  make  objection  to 
the  Japanese  action.  But  nothing  of  this  kind  was  done.  The  French 
legation  at  Seoul  was  in  charge  of  the  secretary  and  interpreter,  the 
minister  being  in  Paris  on  leave  of  absence  and  the  French  foreign 
office  showed  no  inclination  to  order  his  return. 

POOR  KOREA  MILDLY   PROTESTS. 

At  the  Korean  legation  it  was  said  that  Korea  had  declared  her  neu- 
trality from  the  outset  and  that  therefore  if  the  Japanese  occupied 
Korean  territory  and  proposed  marching  through  Korea  on  their  way 
to  Manchuria  it  was  not  with  Korea's  consent,  but  because  she  was 
unable  to  prevent  it.  The  legation  officials  added  that  the  fifty  thou- 
sand stands  of  arms  recently  ordered  by  Korea  from  France  would 
remain  at  Hongkong  for  the  time  being,  in  order  that  they  might  not 
be  seized  by  the  Japanese. 

Subsequently  Japan  made  a  treaty  with  Korea,  guaranteeing  her  in- 
tegrity, and  the  two  formed  a  military  alliance  against  Russia.  On 
account  of  the  insignificance  of  Korea,  as  a  nation,  however,  France 
refused  to  consider  this  move  sufficient  grounds  for  coming  to  the  as- 
sistance of  the  Czar. 

japan's  formal  reply  TO  RUSSIA. 

On  March  2  was  made  public  the  Japanese  imperial  edict,  or  note  of 
reply  to  the  formal  Russian  protest,  already  published.  It  was  as  fol- 
lows : 

"The  Russian  Government  has  charged  Japan  with  having  treacher- 
ously obtained  a  victory  by  a  sudden  attack  upon  Russia,  who  was 
bent  upon  maintaining  peace.  It  is  further  asserted  that  since  a  rup- 
ture of  diplomatic  relations  can  never  be  looked  upon  as  the  opening 
of  hostilities,  and  since  Japan  did  not  issue  a  declaration  of  war  until 


A  JAPANESE  BATTLESHIP  PRACTICING  TORPEDO   DEFENSE. 

To  ward  off  the  projected  torpedo,  the  sides  of  the  modern  battleship  are  protected  by 
huge  nets  stretched  on  poles,  and  the  order  "out  nets"  is  followed  by  prodigious  activity  on 
the  part  of  the  Japs,  who  are  being  put  through  their  war  drill.  (10o) 


JAPANESE   PRACTICING  WITH   A  QUICK-FIRING  GUN. 

In  their  dashes  to  surprise  the  enemy,  it  was  particularly  desirable  that  the  Japanese 
should  be  masters  in  the  handling  of  quick-firing  guns.  They  are  seen  here  in  one  of  their 
many  practices  aboard  an  ironclad.  (127) 


CAPTURE  OF  A  SPY  AT  PORT  ARTHUR. 

The  Japanese  spy  system  was  particularly  dangerous  to  the  Russians,  because  of  the 
comparative  similarity  in  stature  and  general  appearance  between  the  average  Jap  and 
Chinese  cooley.  Thus  disguised,  several  Japanese  were  arrested  in  the  fortifications 
at    Port  Arthur.  101) 


SUBJECTS  OF  NICHOLAS 


II    IN   ASIATIC    RUSSIA. 

Over  the  vast  extent  of  Asiatic  Russia,  or  Siberia,  are  scattered  more  distinct  tribes 
and  races  of  men  than  fall  to  the  lot  of  any  other  power  than  Russia  to  govern.  From  an 
examination  of  the  types  of  this  motley  collection,  it  may  be  inferred  that  Russia's  policy 
of  first  instilling  fear  in  her  Asiatic  subjects  is  the  only  effective  one.  (122, 


A  RUSSIAN   ENCAMPMENT  ON  THE  YALU   RIVER. 

Each  of  these  tents  is  occupied  by  three  Russians.  The  tent  stands  three  feet  and  a 
half  from  the  ground,  is  placed  over  a  hole  filled  with  straw,  and  is  covered  with  the  exca- 
vated earth  and  snow.  (U-j) 


EUROPEAN   AND    ASIATIC  SUBJECTS  OF  NICHOLAS   II. 

The  small  outline  map  gives  an  idea  of  the  stupendous  reach  of  the  Czar's  dominions 

The  types  of  people,  sometimes  called  the  "  Little  Father's  Children,'1  range  from  the    few' 

nd  Finn,  who  protest  against  the  appellation,  to  the  half  savage  AsJatJr  kind   ",  i  ^ 


RUSSIAN    RAILWAY  CROSSING  A  FROZEN   RIVER. 

The  military  field  railway  was  often  Russia's  "  right-hand  man"  in  the  transportation 
of  her  armies  to  the  far  East.  The  gauge  of  such  railroads  is  narrow,  and  the  sleepers  are 
very  long,  in  order  that  the  weight  may  be  more  evenly  distributed  and  to  guard,  as  far  as 
possible,  against  the  danger  from  ire  fissures,  (110) 


JAPAN'S    POWER  AFLOAT. 


Japan  s  strength  as  a  naval  power  was  admitted  from  the  first.  Her  navy  at  rest, 
with  its  eight  great  battleships  and  her  host  of  cruisers  and  boats  of  the  torpedo  type,  was  a 
fine  sight     in  action,  superb.  (HI) 


«l?T 


READY  FOR  ACTION. 


A  modern  naval  squadron,  with  all  steam  up,  ready  to  sally  forth  and  give  battle  to  the 
enemy,  is  a  blood- stirring  sight.  Battleships  and  cruisers,  torpedo  boats,  torpedo  boat 
destroyers,  gunboats,  coast  defense  vessels,  and  despatch  boats  all  make  up  the  array.   cn,> 


SUSPECTED  OF  MEDDLING  WITH   THE    RAILWAY   LINE. 

Fully  one-third  of  the  Russian  forces,  in  one  way  and  another,  was  occupied  in  guard- 
ing the  Trans-Siberian  Railway,  especially  in  Manchuria.  Japanese  disguised  as  cooley 
laborers  were  arrested  for  meddling  with  the  line,  and  it  was  an  anxious  moment  for  them 
•.■.■hen  they  were  brought  before  t  :       ■   of  the  Cossark  railway  patrol  for  examination. 

(I20j 


THE  JAPANESE   FLANKING   MOVEMENT  TOWARD   MUKDE.N. 

The  opening  of  the  war  was  occupied  by  naval  attacks  upon  Port  Arthur  and  Vladivos- 
tok. The  land  operations  covered  such  an  extensive  territory  that  several  weeks  elapsed 
before  the  general  plan  of  the  Japanese  campaign  even  developed.  Its  main  feature  was 
the  flanking  movement  here  illustrated.  (105) 


A  VICTIM   TO   DUTY. 

The  midwinter  advance  to  the  Korean  frontiers  by  the  Russians  was  attended  by  fear 
ful  hardships.  The  outposts  were  first  occupied  by  bands  of  Cossacks,  who  were  often  out 
of  reach  of  the  main  body.      Many  of  them,  in  consequence,  were  frozen  to  death.  (nit) 


MANCHURIAN   BANDITS  ATTACKING  A  COSSACK   RAILWAY  GUARD. 

In  defending  the  line  of  the  Manchurian  branch  of  the  Trans-Siberian  Railway,  the 
Russians  had  no  rrore  dangerous  enemies  to  contend  with  than  the  Chinese  bandits  of  that 
region,  known  as  Hunghuses.  It  was  never  ascertained  just  in  how  far  these  fierce  Man- 
churian outlaws  had  an  understanding  with  China  or  Japan.  (108) 


BRINGING    MANCHURIAN    SUSPECTS    BEFORE  A   RUSSIAN   OFFICER. 

The  Chunchuses  were  Manchurian  bandits  who  were  suspected  of  harrassing  the  Rus- 
sians in  Manchuria.  They  are  here  being  brought  before  the  officer  of  a  Russian  advance 
guard  for  examination.  U1!s) 


THE  DRY  DOCK  AT  PORT  ARTHUR. 

Early  in  the  war  the  dry  dock  at  Port  Arthur  was  run  to  its  full  capacity  in  making 
repairs,  especially  upon  the  three  disabled  battleships  torpedoed  by  the  Japanese  during 
their  first  attack.  Many  Finns  were  employed  there  as  skilled  workmen,  the  heaviest 
manual  labor  being  put  upon  the  coolies.  (lOu) 


RUSSIAN    SAILORS    PUTTING  TORPEDOES  ABOARD  THE  CZAREVITCH. 

Eight  hours  before  the  commencement  of  hostilities  between  Japan  and  Russia  the 
great  Russian  battleship,  the  Czarevitch,  placed  aboard  a  large  number  of  torpedoes,  in  the 
expectation  of  launching  them  at  the  enemy.  The  torpedo  attack  of  the  Japanese  flotilla, 
however,  saved  her  that  trouble,  and  she  herself  was  made  a  battered  target.  (i_»s) 


RUSSIA'S  PROTEST  AND  JAPAN'S  REPLY.  353 

the  nth  of  February,  she  has  been  guilty  of  a  flag-rant  breach  of  the 
principles  of  international  law  in  making  as  early  as  the  8th  of  Feb- 
ruary most  unwarrantable  attacks  on  Russian  men-of-war  and  mer- 
chant vessels. 

"The  answer  to  these  charges  may  be  found  in  the  action  of  Rus- 
sia herself.  That  her  government  never  entertained  any  sincere  desire 
for  peace  can  be  clearly  seen  from  its  conduct. 

REFUSED  TO  MEET  PROPOSALS. 

"Throughout  the  whole  course  of  the  negotiations  Russia  persist- 
ently refused  to  meet  the  proposals  made  by  japan  in  a  moderate 
and  conciliatory  spirit.  By  delays  that  could  not  be  construed  as  other- 
wise than  wanton  and  unnecessary  she  put  off  the  settlement  of  the 
questions  at  issue,  while  at  the  same  time  busily  extending  her  naval 
and  military  preparations. 

"Her  warlike  preparations  in  the  far  East  since  last  April,  when  she 
failed  to  carry  out  her  treaty  engagement  to  evacuate  Manchuria,  are 
in  full  confirmation  of  these  statements. 

"During  that  time  the  increase  made  in  her  naval  strength  in  the 
far  East  was  as  follows :  Three  battleships,  tonnage,  38,488 ;  one  ar- 
mored cruiser,  tonnage,  7,726;  five  cruisers,  tonnage,  26,417;  seven  de- 
stroyers, tonnage,  2,450;  one  gunboat,  tonnage,  1,334;  two  vessels  for 
laying  mines,  tonnage,  6,000.  Total  number  of  vessels,  nineteen,  with 
a  total  tonnage  of  82,415. 

SENT  BOATS  BY  RAIL. 

"In  addition  to  these  vessels,  the  Russian  Government  sent  torpedo 
destroyers  in  sections  by  rail  to  Port  Arthur,  where  the  work  of  putting 
them  together  has  been  hastened,  and  seven  of  them  have  already  been 
completed.  Furthermore,  two  vessels  of  the  volunteer  fleet  were  armed 
at  Vladivostok  and  hoisted  the  Russian  naval  ensign. 

"The  Russian  Government  also  ordered  to  the  far  East  one  battle- 
ship, three  cruisers,  seven  destroyers  and  four  torpedo  boats  of  a  total 
tonnage  of  about  30,740,  which  would  have  joined  the  Russian  squad- 


354  THE  .GREAT  WAR  IN  THE  EAST. 

ron  in  the  far  East  had  not  circumstances  subsequently  compelled  Rus- 
sia to  recall  them.  These  vessels,  if  added  to  the  others  brought  to  the 
far  East  during  the  progress  of  the  negotiations,  would  have  made  a 
total  increase  in  Russia's  naval  strength  of  about  113,000  tons.  During 
the  same  period  the  increase  of  Russia's  land  forces  in  the  far  East 
has  been  equally  marked. 

"Since  the  29th  of  last  June,  when,  under  the  pretext  of  a  trial  trans- 
portation on  the  Siberian  Railway,  the  Russian  Government  sent  to 
China  two  infantry  brigades,  two  artillery  battalions  and  a  large 
force  of  cavalry,  troops  have  been  constantly  sent  by  military  trains 
from  Russia  to  the  far  East,  until  at  the  beginning  of  February  the  to- 
tal augmented  strength  was  over  40,000.  At  the  same  time  plans  were 
being  made  for  sending  if  necessary  over  200,000  men  more. 

BUSY  PREPARING  FOR  WAR. 

"During  the  same  period  there  had  been  the  greatest  activity  possi- 
ble at  Port  Arthur  and  Vladivostok,  and  work  has  been  carried  on  day 
and  night  to  strengthen  the  fortifications  of  those  naval  ports,  while 
forts  have  been  built  at  Hunchum  Liao-Yang  and  other  strategic  points, 
and  large  quantities  of  arms  and  ammunition  have  been  sent  to  the  far 
East  by  the  Siberian  Railway  and  the  vessels  of  the  fleet.  In  the  mid- 
dle of  October  last  a  train  of  fourteen  cars  was  hurriedly  sent  from 
Russia,  laden  with  the  equipment  of  a  field  hospital. 

"From  these  military  and  naval  preparations  of  every  description, 
made  during  the  progress  of  the  negotiations,  it  is  quite  evident  that 
Russia  was  not  inclined  to  a  friendly  settlement  of  the  questions  then 
under  discussion  between  Japan  and  herself,  but  sought  solely  by  her 
military  preponderance  to  force  Japan  into  submission.  During  the 
latter  part  of  January  and  in  the  beginning  of  February  Russian  mili- 
tary activity  was  still  further  intensified. 

"On  January  21  about  two  battalions  of  infantry  and  a  detachment 
of  cavalry  were  sent  from  Port  Arthur  and  Dalny  to  the  northern  fron- 
tier of  Korea,  and  on  January  28  a  formal  order  to  prepare  for  war  was 


RUSSIA'S  PROTEST  AND  JAPAN'S  REPLY.  355 

given  by  Admiral  Alexieff  to  the  forces  which  were  stationed  in  the 
vicinity  of  the  Yalu. 

ORDERED  TO   WITHDRAW. 

"On  February  1  the  military  commandant  in  Vladivostok,  under 
the  orders  of  his  government,  requested  the  Japanese  commercial  agent 
at  that  port  to  notify  his  nationals  that,  as  a  state  of  siege  might  be 
proclaimed  at  any  moment,  they  must  make  immediate  preparations  to 
withdraw  to  Haborovsk.  About  the  same  date  all  of  the  warships  at 
Port  Arthur,  except  a  battleship  then  under  repair,  made  a  naval  dem- 
onstration by  leaving  port,  while  troops  were  advanced  in  large  num- 
bers from  Liao-Yang  toward  the  Yalu. 

"In  view  of  these  facts,  who  can  say  that  Russia  had  no  warlike  in- 
tentions or  that  she  was  unprepared  for  war  ? 

"Seeing  that  the  situation  had  become  so  critical  that  it  admitted  of 
no  further  delay,  the  Japanese  Government  was  compelled  to  break  off 
negotiations  that  had  proved  abortive  and  to  take  the  necessary  steps 
for  self-protection.  But  the  responsibility  for  the  challenge  to  war 
rests  not  with  Japan,  but  solely  with  Russia. 

RESPONSIBILITY   WITH   RUSSIA. 

"On  the  6th  of  February  Japan  announced  to  Russia  her  determina- 
tion to  terminate  the  pending  negotiations  and  to  take  such  independ- 
ent action  as  she  might  deem  best  to  defend  her  position,  menaced  by 
Russia,  and  to  protect  her  established  rights  and  legitimate  interests. 
At  the  same  time  the  government  of  Japan  informed  the  Russian  gov- 
ernment that,  as  the  moderate  and  unselfish  proposals  in  the  interest 
of  a  firm  and  lasting  peace  in  the  far  East  had  not  received  the  con- 
sideration which  was  their  due,  Japan  had  resolved  to  sever  her  rela- 
tions with  Russia,  which,  for  the  reasons  named,  had  ceased  i.o  possess 
value,  and  to  withdraw  her  legation. 

"The  term  'independent  action'  naturally  included  the  opening  of 
hostilities.  The  fact  that  Russia  was  unable  to  understand  it  in  that 
light  is,  of  course,  no  reason  why  Japan  should  be  held  responsible  for 
the  misinterpretation  of  Russia. 


i56 


THE  GREAT  WAR  IN  THE  EAST. 


"The  almost  unanimous  opinion  of  international  jurists  is  that  a  dec- 
laration of  war  is  not  an  indispensable  pre-requisite  to  the  opening  of 
hostilities. 

"Indeed,  it  has  been  the  common  practice  in  recent  wars  to  declare 
war  after  hostilities  have  been  begun.  Japan's  action,  therefore,  is  not 
open  to  the  least  criticism  in  this  regard. 

"From  the  standpoint  of  international  law,  it  must  be  acknowledged 
that  the  charge  made  against  her  does  not  come  with  a  good  grace 
from  Russia,  inasmuch  as  there  are  not  only  many  instances  in  which 
Russia  herself  resorted  to  hostilities  without  declaring  war,  but  one 
case,  that  of  her  invasion  of  Finland,  when  she  began  war  before  there 
had  even  been  a  rupture  of  diplomatic  relations." 


:H  y  ?,«^Staj 


Can  They  Stand  the  Strain? 


CHAPTER  XXV. 
OUR  RELATIONS  WITH  JAPAN. 

Japanese  Admiral  and  Wife,  American  Products — Japan  Adopts  America's  Cry — 
United  States  Refused  an  Entangling  Alliance — Americans  and  Russians 
Greatest  Japanese  Tourists— Explanation  of  a  Polite  Japanese  Spy— Amer- 
ica's Friendship  in  Evidence. 

LTHOUGH  ill  no  sense  of  the  word  flesh  of  our  flesh  and  bone 
of  our  bone,  distant,  plucky  little  Japan  is  a  child  of  the  United 
States.  It  was  an  American  sailor  who  plucked  the  island 
empire  out  of  the  darkness  of  oriental  slumber  in  which  it  had  lain  for 
centuries.  Fifty-two  years  ago  Commodore  Perry  introduced  the  land 
of  the  Rising  Sun  to  the  nations  of  the  world.  Since  that  day  Amer- 
ican ideas  and  ideals  have,  more  than  those  of  any  other  nation,  been 
incorporated  in  the  Japanese  scheme  of  progress  and  development. 
American  schools  have  been  thronged  with  Japanese  pupils  and  Amer- 
ican trade  with  Japan  has  increased  with  tremendous  strides.  An- 
napolis and  West  Point  have  been  centers  of  intense  interest  to  the 
Jap,  who  has  absorbed  almost  everything  valuable  we  have  had  to  give 
in  the  fields  of  art,  science,  mechanics  and  military  and  naval  tactics. 

Quick  to  realize  the  true  status  of  the  Caucasian  nations  in  the  never 
ending  struggle  for  commercial  and  territorial  supremacy,  Japan 
learned  early  in  its  intercourse  with  the  nations  that  in  the  United 
States  only  a  friend  and  counsellor  could  be  found  free  from  suspicion 
of  entertaining  ulterior  designs  against  its  empire.  That  more  than 
any  other  circumstance  accounts  for  the  remarkably  close  relations 

357 


358  THE  GREAT  WAR  IN  THE  EAST. 

that  for  half  a  century  have  been  maintained  between  Japan  and  the 
United  States. 

JAPANESE  ADMIRAL   AND   WIFE  AMERICAN   PRODUCTS. 

One  little  circumstance  will  illustrate  the  closeness  of  these  relations 
perhaps  as  fully  as  pages  could.  When  a  Japanese  fleet  caught,  forced 
into  a  fight  and  destroyed  the  Russian  cruiser  Variag  and  gunboat 
Korietz  at  Chemulpo  during  the  first  24  hours  of  the  war,  it  was  a 
mind  trained  in  the  United  States  Naval  Academy  at  Annapolis  that 
directed  the  Japanese  action.  The  emblem  of  Admiral  Uriu  floated 
from  the  flagship  of  the  Japanese  fleet.  Uriu  was  a  graduate  of 
Annapolis.  His  wife,  too,  may  thank  this  country  for  her  finished 
education,  for  she  was  a  graduate  of  Vassar. 

JAPAN  ADOPTS  AMERICAN   CRY. 

It  may  be  that  Japan  after  its  reformation  and  the  close  study  it 
gave  us  in  modeling  its  governmental  organization  absorbed  the  expan- 
sion fever  from  us.  In  any  event  it  adopted  our  cry  of  "Westward 
ho !"  Weary  of  her  isolation  as  an  island  empire  she  sought  to  gain 
a  foothold  on  the  mainland  of  Asia  by  securing  an  ascendancy  over 
Korea,  unmilitary  and  empty-handed,  and  over  which  China  and  Japan 
both  claimed  to  be  suzerains. 

japan's  war  with  china. 

In  order  to  assert  her  position  Japan  declared  war  against  China 
in  1894  and  drove  the  Chinese  army  out  of  Korea.  She  also  landed 
an  army  corps  in  Manchuria  and  conquered  the  province  of  Liao-Tung, 
which  contains  Port  Arthur,  Talienwan — both  military  strongholds 
on  the  Yellow  sea — and  the  rich  and  ancient  Tartar  capital,  Mukden. 

China  sued  for  peace.  In  the  negotiations  which  followed  she 
ceded  to  Japan  not  only  the  island  of  Formosa,  but  the  Manchurian 
province  of  Liaotong.  This  province  reaches  from  the  north  of  Korea 
to  the  Gulf  of  Pechili,  the  sea  threshold  of  the  route  to  Pekin. 

It  exactly  suited  the  swiftly  expanding  ambitions  of  Japan.     It 


OUR  RELATIONS  WITH  JAPAN.  359 

placed  Korea  helplessly  between  her  territorial  frontiers  and  gave  her 
the  greatest  military  and  naval  stronghold  in  Asia — Port  Arthur. 
The  Japanese  were  delirious  with  pride. 

UNITED  STATES   REFUSED   AN   ENTANGLING  ALLIANCE. 

The  diplomatic  struggle  that  robbed  Japan  of  the  fruits  of  its  ag- 
gression and  cut  short  its  exultation  has  already  been  fully  described. 
It  is  quite  possible  that  our  freedom  from  participation  in  the  game  of 
diplomacy  that  so  embittered  Japan  toward  the  powers  of  continental 
Europe  may  have  increased  Japanese  friendship  for  the  United  States. 
It  also  awakened  Japan  to  the  necessity  of  a  strengthening  alliance 
to  make  more  certain  her  position  of  independence  among  her  greedy 
neighbors  from  Europe,  fast  locating  about  her  on  every  side.  Such 
an  offensive  and  defensive  alliance  was  out  of  the  question  with  the 
United  States,  so  Japan  turned  to  England.  The  latter,  overburdened 
with  oriental  chestnuts  that  she  might  want  pulled  from  the  fire  at  any 
moment,  was  not  slow  to  realize  the  tremendous  advantages  of  such  a 
fact  with  the  energetic,  militant  Yankee  of  the  orient  and  met  nego- 
tions  more  than  half  way. 

THE  ANGLO-JAPANESE  ALLIANCE. 

To  thus  strengthen  her  position  Japan  made  a  treaty  of  alliance  with 
Great  Britain  in  February,  1902,  in  which  the  two  countries  agreed 
to  do  everything  necessary  to  maintain  the  independence  and  territorial 
integrity  of  China  and  Korea,  and  also  agreed,  in  case  war  should 
ensue,  that  if  other  powers  should  join  the  aggressor  in  hostilities 
against  one  of  the  contracting  parties,  the  other  should  go  to  its  assist- 
ance. 

So  Japan,  representing  heathen  civilization,  in  taking  the  initiative 
against  Russia,  representing  Christian  civilization,  was  fortified  with 
the  knowledge  that  she  was  backed  with  the  moral  support  of  mighty 
England — a  matter  of  no  small  consequence  to  the  contending  bel- 
ligerents. The  existence  of  the  treaty  itself  was  fraught  with  serious 
consequences  indeed  in  the  event  of  violation  of  the  principles  of  neu- 
trality by  any  power  in  sympathy  with  Russia, 


360  THE  GREAT  WAR  IN  THE  EAST. 

Pro- Japan  sentiment,  so  generally  expressed  in  America  at  the  out- 
break of  hostilities,  was  perhaps  traceable  not  only  to  the  fact  that  it  is 
American  nature  to  take  the  side  of  the  weaker  against  the  stronger, 
but  because  the  United  States  feels  a  strong  admiration  for  what  the 
island  empire  has  accomplished  within  the  last  three  decades.  Then, 
again,  the  United  States  was  to  some  extent  the  sponsor  of  Japan,  as 
having  introduced  her  into  the  comity  of  nations,  and  we  had  no  reason 
to  be  ashamed  of  our  foster  child.  Japan,  indeed,  had  always  fulfilled 
her  treaty  obligations,  sometimes  not  without  great  difficulty. 

Japan,  since  the  revolution  in  1868,  had  toiled  ceaselessly  to  place 
her  independence  upon  a  firm  basis.  Her  efforts  were  laudable  and 
she  accomplished  her  object. 

The  truly  oriental  politeness  of  the  Japanese — a  sign  of  "equality" 
— the  politeness  of  this  hierarchical  East,  is  in  surprising  contrast  with 
the  aggressive  rudeness  of  our  democratic  communities.  Gentleness, 
cordiality,  are  the  Japanese  rule.  No  scenes  of  violence.  The  readi- 
ness with  which  Europeans  fly  into  a  passion  stupefies  the  Japanese, 
appears  to  them  to  be  a  sign  of  innate  coarseness.  In  his  considera- 
tion for  others  a  Japanese  habitually  refrains  from  making  any  show 
of  his  personal  sorrows.  Only  her  vanity  has  led  Europe  to  fancy 
that  the  Japanese  regard  Western  civilization  as  superior  to  their  own, 
and  that,  therefore,  they  are  "Europeanizing"  themselves  purposely. 
The  same,  to  a  great  extent,  may  be  said  of  the  United  States.  Japan 
considers  herself  pretty  near  all  right,  although  willing  to  borrow  that 
which  is  useful  in  others.  One  has  only  to  leave  the  beaten  path  of 
the  tourist  to  find  that  out. 

AMERICANS  AND  RUSSIANS  GREATEST  JAPANESE  TOURISTS. 

No  people  are  more  generally  found  as  tourists  and  winter  residents 
of  Japan  than  Americans,  with  the  exception  of  the  Russians.  With 
the  gradual  development  of  Russian  interests  in  the  far  East,  Japan 
became  a  great  winter  resort  for  Russian  families.  More  lavish  even 
than  Americans  in  their  demand  for  the  best  and  in  prodigal  expendi- 
tures of  money,  they  formed  a  rare  target  for  the  ingenuity  of  the  Jap- 


OUR  RELATIONS  WITH  JAPAN.  361 

anese  merchant.  Both  American  and  Russian  tourists  and  resorters  in 
large  numbers  were  caught  by  the  sudden  outbreak  of  war  and  fell 
victims  to  a  multiplicity  of  annoyances,  increased  by  the  withdrawal  of 
the  usual  excellent  steamship  facilities  for  coming  and  going  from 
Japan. 

American  interests  experienced  much  annoyance  from  the  system 
of  espionage  that  prevailed  throughout  Japan  long  before  the  war — 
prompted  no  doubt  by  the  certainty  that  hostilities  would  follow.  The 
system  of  espionage  covered  foreigners  and  natives  alike,  and  if  there 
was  anything  it  missed  it  was  very  small. 

EXPLANATION  OF  A  POLITE  JAPANESE  SPY. 

The  care  which  considered  the  possible  meaning  of  private  tele- 
grams also  inspected  the  goings  and  comings  of  private  persons.  One 
day  two  Americans  came  out  of  a  hotel  in  Tokyo  and  started  for  a 
morning  walk.  Before  they  had  gone  far  they  discovered  that  they 
were  followed.  Both  were  husky  men,  and  they  gave  the  spy  a 
merry  chase  for  an  hour.  Then  they  brought  him  back  to  the  hotel, 
and  while  one  kept  him  occupied  the  other  went  into  the  hotel  and 
got  an  interpreter.  Then  they  demanded  to  know  what  he  meant  by 
following  them.  There  was  an  exciting  debate  between  the  inter- 
preter and  the  other. 

Then  the  interpreter  said  with  true  oriental  blandness : 
"He  says  he  is  from  the  country  and  has  never  been  in  Tokyo  before 
in  his  life.     You  are  the  first  foreigners  he  has  ever  seen,  and  he  was 
so  much  interested  in  your  manner  and  your  dress  and  your  talk  that 
he  followed  you.    He  meant  no  offense  and  asks  your  pardon." 

JAPANESE  HARD  TO  UNDERSTAND. 

It  is  difficult  for  the  American  to  form  a  satisfactory  estimate  of 
the  Jap.  Individually,  in  the  American  university  or  business  house,  we 
have  him  on  dress  parade;  collectively,  at  home,  we  are  scarcely  able 
to  comprehend  him,  to  penetrate  his  emotionless  reserve,  his  childlike, 
bland  ingenuity. 


362  THE  GREAT  WAR  IN  THE  EAST. 

We  have  had  plenty  of  glowing  eulogists  of  the  Japanese  and  some 
detractors.  Percival  Lowell  undertook  to  say  on  the  strength  of  a  com- 
paratively superficial  acquaintance  with  this  people  that  they  lack  per- 
sonality and  individual  soul,  even  that  they  "do  not  think,"  while  Basil 
H.  Chamberlain,  who  makes  Japan  his  home,  has  reached  an  opposite 
conclusion  after  a  residence  of  many  years.  Another  writer  on  things 
Japanese,  a  German  of  Dutch  descent  named  Ten  Kate,  has  just  con- 
tributed the  harshest  verdict  which  has  yet  appeared;  he  accuses  the 
Japanese  of  lack  of  the  love  of  truth,  lack  of  depth  in  intellect  and 
sentiment  and  inaccessibility  to  abstract  ideas.  He  says  they  have  no 
individuality,  are  unstable  and  easily  moved  by  suggestions  from 
stronger  minds,  are  wanting  in  tenacity  of  purpose  and  grit,  are  open 
to  .paradoxes  and  slaves  to  vanity  and  jingoism. 

Ten  Kate  has  only  faults  to  find  in  the  Japanese,  but  he  remains  in 
Japan,  as  so  many  others  before  him,  who  have  not  been  able  to  escape 
the  charm  of  the  country  while  grumbling  at  the  people  who  make 
the  land  delightful.  He  even  goes  so  far  as  to  charge  them  with 
monotonous  features,  with  looking  all  alike,  and,  of  course,  he  recounts 
as  examples  of  their  heartlessness  the  cheerful  tone  they  employ  when 
speaking  of  the  dead  and  the  bloody  deeds  which  are  found  in  their 
history  under  the  Shoguns  down  to  the  disappearance  of  the  Sho- 
gunate  in  1868. 

Fortunately  for  the  Japanese,  there  are  foreigners  among  them  who 
dissent  utterly  from  such  an  indictment  of  a  nation.  Dr.  Baelz  has 
lived  in  Japan  more  than  a  quarter  century  as  a  practicing  physician, 
a  teacher,  and  a  writer  on  Japanese  matters.  He  has  employed  many 
Japanese  as  trained  nurses  and  in  other  capacities,  and  he  reports 
that  his  experience  proves  just  the  contrary.  From  other  physicians 
and  from  Americans  and  Europeans  who  employ  native  labor  he  ob- 
tains the  same  evidence  in  favor  of  the  quickness  and  thought  fulness  of 
the  Japanese.  The  adverse  opinions  he  attributes  to  the  difficulty  of 
getting  information  from  people  who  are  very  sensitive  to  ridicule, 
who  often  pretend  not  to  understand  when  asked  questions  they  think 


OUR  RELATIONS  WITH  JAPAN.  363 

are  dictated  by  pure  curiosity,  and  to  some  degree  also  to  the  unsettled 
condition  of  mind  in  a  country  which  has  made  recently  such  ex- 
traordinary changes  in  politics  and  social  conditions. 

America's  friendship  in  evidence. 

It  is  needless  to  say  that  the  trend  of  American  sentiment  has  always 
been  favorable  to  the  Japanese,  as  witness  the  fact  that  New  York 
Japs  were  able  to  secure  pledges  for  $5,000,000  aid  for  their  mother 
country  within  a  week  of  the  declaration  of  war.  At  the  same  time 
George  D.  Morgan,  nephew  of  J.  Pierpont  Morgan,  came  tripping 
back  to  America  with  a  Japanese  bride,  Yuki  Kato — surely  an  evidence 
that  that  young  globe  trotter  subscribed  to  no  dark  views  of  the  Japa- 
nese woman.  About  that  time,  too,  many  Americans  were  preparing 
to  help  scores  of  Japs  in  all  parts  of  America  and  hundreds  in  Hawaii 
to  start  for  home,  in  event  of  an  expected  call  for  the  army  reserves. 
Corps  of  physicians  and  nurses,  too,  were  being  organized  to  lend 
their  assistance  to  the  Japs. 

In  Japan  there  is  an  American  legation  at  Tokyo,  a  consulate  gen- 
eral at  Yokohama  and  consulates  at  Kobe,  Nagasaki  and  Tamsui.  The 
last  named  port  is  on  the  Island  of  Formosa,  far  to  the  south,  which 
fell  within  the  sovereignty  of  Japan  after  her  war  with  China. 

America  has  had  much  to  do  with  the  development  of  Japan  from 
every  possible  standpoint.  An  American  seaman,  Perry,  "opened"  the 
country  to  the  trade  of  the  world.  The  American  Minister  Harris 
made  the  first  treaty  with  Japan.  The  first  election  under  the  Japanese 
constitution  was  held  on  July  4,  1890.  The  United  States  govern- 
ment gave  Japan  her  first  foreign  order  for  a  ship — a  small  gunboat 
wanted  in  a  hurry  for  the  Philippines.  The  United  States  first  moved 
at  the  beginning  of  the  Japanese-Russian  war  to  preserve  the  integrity 
of  China,  which  was  one  thing  of  all  others  that  Japan,  as  the  cham- 
pion of  Asia  for  Asiatics,  wants. 

The  dates  of  Japan's  new  birth  are  conveniently  remembered.  The 
Perry  expedition  landed  in  July,  1853.     Previously  foreigners  could 


364 


THE  GREAT  WAR  IN  THE  EAST. 


construction  period  in  Japan  roughly  corresponded  with  our  own. 
New  japan  dates  from  1867.  All  the  great  material  changes  have 
been  made  since  that  year.  The  new  constitution  went  into  effect  and 
the  parliament  assembled  in  1890. 


JAPAN  (early  in  the  war)— "So  far,  I  weigh  more  than  you." 


CHAPTER  XXVI. 
THE  RUSSIANS'  "BENEVOLENT  ASSIMILATION." 

First  Teach  Subject  Races  to  Fear  Them — An  Asiatic  Commanding  Asiatics — First 
the  Sword,  then  Sugar — Wounds  Quickly  Healed — England's  Asiatic  Rule 
from  a  Russian  Standpoint — Russia's  Asiatic  Rule  from  an  English  Stand- 
point. 

YOU  Anglo-Saxons  are  fond  of  talking  about  'benevolent  assim- 
ilation','' said  a  former  captain  in  the  Russian  army,  who  was 
then  living  in  New  York,  "but  if  you  want  to  see  it  really  put 
into  practice  you  ought  to  travel  through  Russian  Asia.  Wherever  you 
went,  from  the  Caucasus  to  Vladivostok,  you  could  find  the  natives 
living  happily  under  our  rule  and  becoming  thoroughly  Russianized,  if 
they  had  not  already  become  so. 

FIRST  TEACH  SUBJECT  RACES  TO  FEAR  THEM. 

"As  soon  as  we  have  taught  them  to  fear  and  respect  us  we  mix 
with  them  freely.  We  do  not  hold  ourselves  aloof  as  if  we  were 
made  of  a  different  kind  of  clay  and  were  altogether  superior  beings, 
as  other  foreigners  do.  We  are  half-orientals  ourselves,  of  course, 
and  naturally  do  not  share  the  color  prejudices  of  the  American, 
the  Englishman  and  the  German.  We  freely  intermarry  with  the 
Asiatics,  among  whom  it  may  be  our  destiny  to  live,  and  we  encour- 
age them  to  rise  to  the  highest  civil  and  military  positions  in  the 
Czar's  service,  if  they  are  worthy  to  fill  them. 

"Thus  it  is  that  our  Asiatic  subjects  grow  to  like  our  rule,  and 
in  time  become  more  Russian  than  the  Russians.     They  are  fond 

365 


366  THE  GREAT  WAR  IN  THE  EAST. 

of  giving  a  Russian  twist  to  their  names  as  soon  as  they  enter  the 
Czar's  service. 

AN  ASIATIC  COMMANDING  ASIATICS. 

"More  than  once  the  supreme  active  command  in  the  Russian  army 
has  been  held  by  an  Asiatic,  and  there  is  absolutely  no  barrier  to  its 
being  so  held  today.  Terfioukashoff  commanded  the  forces  in  Central 
Asia — an  Asiatic  commanding  Asiatics.  Can  you  imagine  England 
intrusting  the  command  of  either  the  Indian  or  the  English  armies 
to  a  Sikh  or  a  Ghurka,  however  fine  a  soldier  he  might  be?  Why, 
he  could  not  even  command  a  company !  He  might  become  an  officer 
in  name,  but  practically  he  would  be  subordinate  to  the  rawest  Eng- 
lish subaltern,  although  he  were  the  gray-bearded  veteran  of  a  dozen 
wars. 

FIRST  THE  SWORD,  THEN  SUGAR. 

"The  English  gain  the  hatred  of  Asiatics  by  treating  them  like 
children ;  the  Germans  use  the  sword  first,  and  then  the  whip,  never 
letting  the  people  down  at  all ;  the  French  colonies  in  Asia  are  hells 
paved  with  good  intentions;  the  Dutch  in  Java  are  greedy  and  ty- 
rannical. The  Russians  alone  know  how  to  handle  Asiatics  properly, 
and  obtain  the  best  results  from  conquering  them.  That  is  why  we 
have  been  able  to  march  right  across  the  continent  from  the  Urals 
and  the  Caucasus  to  the  shores  of  the  Pacific.  We  conquer,  and  then 
we  make  the  people  glad  they  were  conquered." 

"The  Russians,"  says  an  observing  writer  who  had  traveled  widely 
in  Manchuria,  "hold  the  sword  in  the  right  hand  and  a  bit  of  sugar 
in  the  left,  and  when  they  have  done  with  the  one  they  begin  with 
the  other." 

This  has  always  been  the  policy  of  Russia  in  Asia,  and  it  explains 
why  she  holds  her  vast  oriental  conquests  with  such  apparent  ease 
and  is  less  troubled  with  rebellions  than  any  other  great  power  hold- 
ing sway  over  a  multitude  of  subject  races. 

Foreigners  are  surprised  at  the  quickness  with  which  Russia  lays 
down  the  sword  and  offers  the  lump  of  sugar  to  vanquished  orientals. 


THE  RUSSIANS'  BENEVOLENT  ASSIMILATION.        367 

Makdum  Kuli,  a  warrior  chieftain,  was  the  heart  and  soul  of  the 
defense  of  Geok  Tepe  in  the  Turkoman  campaign  of  the  early  eighties. 
The  ashes  of  Geok  Tepe  had  hardly  grown  cold,  the  bodies  of  thou- 
sands of  his  massacred  tribesmen  were  still  unburied,  when  Makdum 
Kuli  was  visited  by  a  Russian  secret  agent,  who  found  him  in  the 
midst  of  the  army  he  had  rallied  for  another  stand  against  the  Rus- 
sian invaders.  This  agent  persuaded  him  to  give  in  and  go  to  Rus- 
sia as  the  guest  of  the  czar,  whose  coronation  was  then  due  at  Mos- 
cow. 

"The  untutored  Turkoman  chieftain,"  said  an  Englishman  who 
met  Makdum  Kuli  at  that  city,  "was  the  honored  guest  at  the  coro- 
nation festivities.  Greater  attention  was  paid  to  him  than  to  Euro- 
pean kings  and  princes.  It  was  a  master  stroke  of  policy.  When  he 
got  back  to  his  own  country  and  told  of  the  wonderful  sights  he 
had  seen,  of  all  the  power  and  splendor  of  Russia,  there  was  no 
more  talk  of  fighting.  His  account  of  the  size  of  the  Russian  army 
converted  the  war  party,  but  far  more  potent  were  the  handsome 
Russian  uniform  he  wore  and  the  stories  he  told  of  the  great  favors 
conferred  upon  him  by  the  Great  White  Czar.  All  the  other  Turko- 
man chieftains  became  keenly  anxious  to  make  the  acquaintance  of 
such  a  generous  master." 

England's  Asiatic  rule  from  a  Russian  standpoint. 

General  Skoboleff,  a  famous  Russian  soldier,  compared  English 
and  Russian  administration  in  Asia  in  an  article  which  he  wrote 
for  the  Rnss  in  January,  1885.  His  views  were,  of  course,  preju- 
diced, but  they  were  interesting. 

"England  lays  a  heavy  hand  on  her  dependent  people,"  he  said. 
"She  reduces  them  to  a  state  of  slavery,  only  that  English  trade 
may  profit  and  Englishmen  grow  rich.  The  deaths  of  millions  in 
India  from  starvation  have  been  caused  indirectly  by  English  des- 
potism. And  the  press  of  England  disseminates  far  and  wide  the 
idea  of  Russia  being  a  country  of  barbarians.  Thousands  of  natives 
in  India  only  await  Russia's  crusade  of  deliverance. 


368  THE  GREAT  WAR  IN  THE  EAST. 

"If  Englishmen  would  only  throw  aside  their  misplaced  pride, 
and  study  a  little  deeper  the  foundation  of  Russia's  power  in  central 
Asia,  comparing  it  with  their  own,  they  would  soon  see  plainly  why 
the  name  of  Russia  has  such  prestige  in  Asia,  and  why  the  natives 
of  India  hate  the  dominion  of  England  and  set  their  hopes  of  free- 
dom upon  Russia. 

"Russia  gives  full  liberty  to  native  manners,  and  not  only  does 
not  overburden  her  subjects  with  fresh  taxes,  but  even  allows  them 
exemptions  and  privileges  of  a  most  extensive  character.  England, 
on  the  contrary,  is  a  vampire,  sucking  the  last  drop  of  blood  out 
of  India." 

Russia's  Asiatic  rule  from  an  English  standpoint. 

Compare  the  foregoing  with  this  view,  expressed  by  an  English- 
man in  a  series  of  letters  touching  on  conditions  in  Persia,  China 
and  throughout  the  far  East  just  before  Russia  and  Japan  came  to 
blows : 

"In  a  word,  Russia  is  reaping  today  the  results  of  a  carefully 
thought  out,  consistent  and  persevering  policy,  carried  out  by  a  staff 
of  highly  trained  officials,  especially  equipped  with  thorough  knowl- 
edge of  the  language,  the  customs  and  the  people  of  the  country. 
It  may  be  asked  why,  if  Persia  is  already  so  completely  in  her  grip, 
she  prefers  not  to  enter  into  actual  possession.  The  answer  is  an 
easy  one  to  those  who  have  followed  Russian  policy  in  other  parts 
of  the  East.  Russia  prefers  a  feeble  and  bankrupt  oriental  neighbor 
to  an  annexed  dependency.  She  has  learned  the  secret  of  ruling 
an  eastern  state  through  its  nominal  owners,  if  only  they  are  weak, 
corrupt  and  in  her  pay. 

"Russia  has  not  only  advanced  right  across  the  continent  of  Asia 
to  the  Pacific,  and  consolidated  her  dominions  by  the  construction  of 
the  greatest  trunk  line  railroad  in  the  world,  but  she  has  moved 
southward  all  along  the  line  with  gigantic  strides.  In  the  West  the 
Black  sea  is,  except  in  name,  a  Russian  lake  like  the  Caspian,  and 
in  the  East  a  fortress  more  formidable  than   Scbastopol  ever  was 


THE  RUSSIANS'  BENEVOLENT  ASSIMILATION.       369 

is  growing  up  at  Port  Arthur  to  command  the  entrance  to  the  gulf 
of  Pechili. 

"The  Central  Asian  khanates  and  the  Turkoman  tribes  have  been 
swallowed  up.  The  Trans-Caspian  railway  skirting  the  northeastern 
frontier  of  Persia  runs  through  Merv  to  the  boundary  stones  of 
Afghanistan,  and  Tashkend  will  shortly  be  connected  by  rail  with 
the  Siberian  railway,  as  it  already  is  with  the  Caspian.  Nor  is  the 
onward  march  of  Russia  to  be  measured  merely  by  the  tens  of  thou- 
sands of  square  miles  which  have  been  brought  under  direct  subjec- 
tion to  her  rule.  She  holds  the  Shah  and  the  central  government 
of  Persia  in  the  hollow  of  her  hand  by  the  two-fold  power  of  the 
sword  and  of  the  purse.  In  the  northern  provinces  she  is  supreme 
in  all  but  name,  and  she  makes  no  secret  of  her  intention  to  carry 
her  ascendency  down  to  the  Persian  gulf  and  the  Indian  ocean. 

"Her  frontier  marches  with  that  of  Afghanistan  where  the  latter 
is  most  vulnerable.  Farther  east,  in  Chinese  Turkestan  and  Mon- 
golia, her  power  waxes  in  proportion  as  that  of  Pekin  wanes,  and  all 
these  outlying  dependencies  of  the  Chinese  Empire  are  going  the 
way  Manchuria  has  already  gone." 


1 1\\  /is^^  °«^ 


j 


THE  JAPS  (SCENE  No.  1)  "THE  FIGHT  SEEMS  TO  BE  GOING  OUR  WAY." 
THE  JAPS  (SCENE  No.  2)  "LOST!  LOST!"  (AS  THEY    RECEIVE    A  VOLLEY  OF  RUSSIAN 

ADJECTIVES.) 
Drawn  by  Cartoonist  Reb.se,  of  the  St.  Paul  Pioneor-Press. 
These  war  pictures  require  no  further  explanation  than  the  remarks  quoted  above. 


CHAPTER  XXVII. 
THE  STORY  OF  MANCHURIA. 

Russia's  Advance  Begins  with  Her  Defeat  in  Crimean  War — March  of  the  Great 
White  Bear  to  the  Water— Russia  as  China's  Protector— Manchuria,  Russia's 
Land  of  Premise. 

AT  the  beginning  of  the  war  Manchuria  seemed  to  be  the  Russian 
sphere  of  influence  in  Northern  China.  Russia  had  occupied 
this  great  province  of  the  Chinese  Empire  under  a  twenty-five- 
year  lease  obtained  in  November,  1897,  of  the  Liao-Tung  peninsula, 
including  Port  Arthur  and  Talienwan,  by  which  she  acquired  a  naval 
base  commanding  from  the  north  the  entrance  to  the  Gulf  of  Pechili 
and  secured  an  ice-free  port  on  the  Pacific  ocean  as  a  terminus  for  her 
Trans-Siberian  railway. 

This  concession  was  followed  in  the  next  year  by  others,  which 
allowed  Russia  continuing  privileges  covering  the  whole  of  Man- 
churia. When  the  Boxer  rising  took  place,  in  1900,  Russia  promptly 
occupied  the  province  with  her  troops,  and  though  she  promised  to 
the  suzerain  power  at  Pekin  that  she  would  gradually  withdraw  them, 
the  date  fixed  for  the  evacuation  (October,  1903)  passed  without 
the  pledge  being  carried  out. 

manchuria's  commercial  centers. 

Manchuria  itself  has  an  area  of  about  94,000  square  miles,  with  a 
population  estimated  at  5,500,000.  At  the  outbreak  of  the  war  the 
most  important  center  was  Harbin,  where  is  the  junction  for  the 
branches  of  the  Trans-Siberian  railway  running  to  Vladivostok  and 

-  37i 


372  THE  GREAT  WAR  IN  THE  EAST. 

Niu-Chwang  and  Dalny  respectively.  Niu-Chwang,  Mukden  and 
Kirin  were  important  commercial  cities,  through  which  American, 
Japanese  and  British  goods  had  for  many  years  made  their  way 
into  the  country.  Under  the  commercial  treaties  of  the  United  States 
and  Japan  with  China,  ratified  in  December,  1903,  the  "open  door" 
was  preserved  at  Mukden  and  Antung  by  the  United  States  and 
Japan. 

There  were  many  American  and  British  missionaries  all  through 
Manchuria  possessing  buildings  and  hospitals.  The  Russian  troops 
in  occupation  were  distributed  along  the  railway  from  the  Amur 
river  in  the  north  to  the  Yalu  river.  In  the  Japan  sea,  on  the  east 
coast  of  Russian  Siberia  and  Korea,  Russia's  naval  action  was  very 
much  confined  by  the  geographical  position  of  Japan.  Vladivostok 
as  a  naval  base  was  almost  useless  in  winter. 

PLEDGED  TO  CHINESE  AND  KOREAN  INDEPENDENCE. 

While  in  the  war  Russia  and  Japan  stood  opposed  to  each  other, 
with  Korea  as  the  bone  of  contention,  in  political  as  well  as  commercial 
rivalry,  it  was  only  by  a  wilful  oversight  that  the  commercial  inter- 
ests of  other  nations  were  ignored  as  a  potent  factor  in  the  struggle. 
That  they  could  stand  by  as  uninterested  spectators  seemed  a  futile 
expectation.  Great  Britain  had  on  her  part  committed  herself,  by 
treaty  concluded  in  January,  1902,  with  Japan,  to  joint  action  with 
that  country,  the  preamble  specifically  stating  that  the  two  govern- 
ments are  "specifically  interested  in  maintaining  the  independence 
and  territorial  integrity  of  the  empires  of  China  and  Korea." 

Other  nations  had  rights  and  privileges  at  stake,  among  which 
our  own  had  no  small  part.  Of  this  detailed  information  may  be 
found  in  the  chapter  devoted  to  our  relations  with  Russia. 

RUSSIAN   ADVANCE  BEGINS  WITH   HER  DEFEAT   IN   CRIMEAN   WAR. 

The  history  of  modern  Manchuria  is  in  reality  the  story  of  the 
Russian  advance  in  population,  territory  and  prestige.  It  may  appear 
a  paradox,  but  this  really  began  with  the  end  of  the  Crimean  war, 


THE  STORY  OF  MANCHURIA.  373 

which  terminated  so  disastrously  for  Russia.  With  the  accession 
of  Alexander  II  to  the  throne  and  the  treaty  of  Paris,  signed  in 
1856,  Russia  found  herself  cut  off  from  not  only  the  anticipated 
fruits  of  the  Turkish  war  that  precipitated  the  French  and  English 
attack  upon  her,  but  from  access  to  the  sea. 

The  blow  seemed  to  awaken  Russia  to  a  new  conception  of  expan- 
sion. A  portion  of  Russian  Bessarabia,  taken  from  her  at  that  time, 
was  later  secured  to  her  again.  Sebastopol,  too,  was  rebuilt.  In 
1 86 1  the  emancipation  of  the  serfs  followed  and  the  common  people 
were  freed  from  the  abject  bondage  in  which  they  were  held.  Exile 
did  much  to  populate  Siberia  and  a  general  movement  of  thought 
and  interest  eastward  followed.  Russia  advanced  into  and  pacified 
the  Caucasus.  The  humiliating  conditions  of  the  treaty  of  Paris 
placed  Russia  in  a  cage.  It  had  always  been  a  great  natural  cage, 
but  never  so  much  as  now.  To  the  north  the  perpetual  grip  of 
winter  held  the  White  Bear  from  access  to  the  sea.  To  the  west 
the  glistening  bayonets  of  France,  Germany  and  England — in  fact 
all  western  Europe — operated  toward  that  end.  It  was  the  same 
to  the  south,  where  the  "sick  man  of  Europe,"  formidable  in  him- 
self, still  commanded  the  support  of  practically  all  Europe. 

MARCH    OF   THE   GREAT    WHITE    BEAR    TO    THE    WATER. 

To  the  east  then  Russia  must  of  necessity  look  for  her  "open  door." 
And  to  the  east  she  turned  her  eyes.  The  savage  and  remorseless 
Asiatic  tribes  barred  the  way,  but  one  by  one  they  gave  way  to  the 
slow  and  tortuous  march  of  the  Great  White  Bear  to  the  water. 

In  1858  General  Muravieff  signed  a  treaty  with  the  Chinese  by 
which  Russia  acquired  all  the  land  to  the  left  of  the  Amur  river. 
Slowly  but  surely  she  crept  down  to  the  sea. 

The  diplomatic  corps  of  Russia  is  selected  after  a  long  and  arduous 
apprenticeship,  account  being  taken  of  each  individual's  peculiarities, 
abilities  and  temper.  The  heads  of  legations  receive  none  but  very 
general  instructions;  promotion  depends  upon  individual  success. 
This  enables  the  foreign  office,  whenever  serious  danger  threatens, 


374  THE  GREAT  WAR  IN  THE  EAST. 

to  declare  with  perfect  truth  that  "the  minister  has  exceeded  his  in- 
structions." If,  on  the  other  hand,  success  crowns  that  official's  efforts 
and  no  serious  opposition  offers  another  province  is  added  to  the 
Czar's  domain. 

ANNEX  AMUR  PROVINCES. 

In  illustration  of  this  rule,  the  record  of  Russia's  annexation  of  the 
Amur  provinces  may  serve.  This  territory  was  secured  by  treaty, 
while  the  Chinese  court  at  Pekin  was  trembling  at  the  approach  of 
the  Anglo-French  forces  in  1858.  In  the  following  year  the  British 
and  French  ministers  were  repulsed  by  the  Taku  forts  when  they 
attempted  to  proceed  to  Pekin  by  the  Peiho.  This  temporary  success 
emboldened  the  Chinese  to  denounce  and  refute  the  treaty  with  Rus- 
sia and  General  Ignatieff  was  sent  to  bring  them  to  their  senses. 
He  and  United  States  Minister  McLane  followed  in  the  wake  of 
the  Anglo-French  army,  and  entered  Pekin  after  the  allies  had  opened 
the  gate.  The  Emperor  Hsienfeng  had  fled,  and  it  was  left  to  Prince 
Kung  to  do  the  best  he  could  for  the  dynasty. 

RUSSIA  AS  CHINA'S  PROTECTOR. 

General  Ignatieff  now  appeared  as  friend  and  protector.  He  rep- 
resented to  the  frightened  prince  that  the  western  barbarians  would 
surely  remain  masters  of  the  middle  kingdom  unless  some  strong 
power  interfered.  Prince  Kung  could  and  did  understand  that.  His 
own  ancestors  had  taken  possession  of  the  empire  after  capturing 
the  capital.  He  readily  agreed  to  recompense  Russia  with  the  "value- 
less outlying  territory,"  and  by  special  treaty  ceded  to  Russia  some 
six  hundred  miles  of  coast  line,  including  the  maritime  province  and 
Vladivostok.  Ignatieff  fulfilled  his  obligations,  and  earned  the  warm 
gratitude  of  Lord  Elgin,  the  British  plenipotentiary,  when  he  remind- 
ed that  dignified  diplomat  that  "the  Peiho  would  soon  freeze  and 
serious  difficulties  might  ensue  unless  the  allies  withdrew  promptly." 
It  was  a  year  later  when  Prince  Kung  learned  what  his  ignorance 
and  inexperience  had  cost  China. 


THE  STORY  OF  MANCHURIA.  375 

It  took  several  years  for  Russia  to  absorb  and  digest  the  territory 
acquired  in  1858  and  i860.  The  Mohammedan  insurrection  caused 
her  to  occupy  Hi  after  notifying  China  that  she  would  restore  that 
territory  when  the  middle  kingdom  was  able  to  maintain  law  and 
order.  In  1884  the  rebellion  was  subdued  and  China  demanded  the 
promised  evacuation,  but  Russia  paid  no  attention.  A  special  am- 
bassador was  sent  to  St.  Petersburg  and  Russia  agreed  to  restore 
one-half  of  Hi  under  certain  conditions.  A  treaty  to  that  effect 
was  signed,  but  the  empress  dowager  peremptorily  refused  its  rati- 
fication and  Russia  assumed  a  threatening  attitude.  War  was  averted 
through  the  efforts  of  the  late  Li  Hung  Chang,  aided  by  Chinese 
Gordon,  who  proceeded  to  Tientsin  at  the  viceroy's  special  request. 
Marquis  Tseng  was  sent  to  St.  Petersburg  and  a  new  treaty  was 
signed  whereby  Russia  retroceded  more  territory  in  return  for  an 
increased  indemnity,  special  privileges  and  the  right  to  navigate 
the  rivers  of  Manchuria. 

From  this  time  date  Russia's  aggressive  designs  upon  the  vast  and 
immensely  wealthy  province  that  lay  between  her  and  the  unfrozen 
sea.  The  development  of  the  city  of  Vladivostok  was  the  result. 
It  was  not  much,  but  it  was  something  in  her  quest  for  an  ocean 
harbor. 

MANCHURIA,  RUSSIANS  LAND  OF  PROMISE. 

To  the  east  of  Russia  promising  the  realization  of  her  dreams  lay 
Manchuria,  just  south  of  the  frozen  limits  of  Siberia.  Across  its 
forbidden  expanse  the  winds  conveyed  to  Slav  ears  the  rippling  play 
of  ocean  surf.  Was  it  surprising,  then,  that  to  secure  Manchuria 
and  its  open  coast  Russia  bent  her  utmost  energies?  Manifestly 
impossible  of  attainment  through  force  of  arms  because  of  the  atti- 
tude of  the  powers,  particularly  England  and  its  ally,  Japan,  the  prize 
might  be  secured  by  diplomacy. 

Centuries  of  battling  against  the  conspiracies  of  man  and  nature 
in  an  effort  to  attain  that  end  had  trained  the  Russian  and  made 
him  the  most  finished  diplomat  of  the  nineteenth  and  twentieth  cen- 


3/6 


THE  GREAT  WAR  IN  THE  EAST. 


turies.  Strong  in  the  knowledge  of  that  fact,  the  Russian  directed 
diplomatic  batteries  upon  Manchuria  with  a  boldness  that  surprised 
the  world,  and  with  results  already  set  forth.  With  that  weapon 
alone  Russia  wrested  from  Japan  the  fruits  of  her  victory  over  China, 
discomfited  England  and  virtually  secured  permanent  establishment 
in  a  dominion  comprising  an  empire  in  itself. 

Soldier  and  tradesman,  colonist  and  religionist,  and  greater  than 
all,  the  railroad,  followed,  and  Manchuria  had  begun  to  assume  a 
Russian  aspect  indeed  when  Japan  cried  halt! 

JAPAN,  ENGLAND,  OR  BOTH? 

Was  it  Japan,  or  merely  an  echo  of  England's  voice  cast  back 
from  the  Mikado's  island  domain?  That  is  a  question  for  sages  to 
answer. 


IU 


\/ 


^'tlW'ii^^^^^^^l^^^^i^ 


Land  Forces,  Early  in  the  War. 
Drawn  by  Cartoonist  Maybe!!,  of  the  Brooklyn  Eagle. 


CHAPTER  XXVIII. 
HOME  OF  THE  MANCHU  DYNASTY. 

The  Golden  Dynasty  Overthrows  the  Iron — Manchuria's  Vast  Natural  Wealth- 
Senator  Beveridge's  Account  of  the  Blagovestchensk  Massacre — What  of  the 
Moscow  of  Asia? 

'ANCHU,  or  Manchuria,  is  not  properly  the  name  of  the  coun- 
try, according  to  recognized  authorities,  but  rather  of  the  in- 
habitants.   The  name  is  modern,  and  how  it  came  to  be  incor- 
porated into  the  geography  of  our  times  is  explained  hereafter. 

Until  the  thirteenth  century  the  Manchus  were  a  nomadic  people. 
Records  concerning  them  exist  covering  a  period  more  than  1,000 
B.  C.  In  early  days  they  paid  tribute  to  China.  In  the  tenth  century 
they  invaded  northern  China  and  established  the  Iron  dynasty  there 
and  two  centuries  later  these  invaders  were  overthrown  by  another 
Manchu  invasion. 

THE  GOLDEN  DYNASTY  OVERTHROWS  THE  IRON. 

The  leader  of  the  latter  horde  declared  iron  would  rust,  but  gold 
never.  Therefore  in  contrast  he  named  his  dynasty  Kin — golden, 
for  gold  never  rusts.  The  Mongols  under  Jenghiz  Khan  in  turn 
drove  out  the  Manchus  less  than  a  century  later. 

Through  the  birth  of  a  leader,  by  reputed  immaculate  conception, 
came  the  name  Manchu — "pure."  This  leader  gathered  together 
the  various  clans,  in  161 7,  reorganized  Manchuria  and  swept  down 
upon  China.     To  this  day  the  occupant  of  the  throne  at  Pekin  is 

377 


378  THE  GREAT  WAR  IN  THE  EAST. 

a  Manchu.  Manchuria  itself  retrograded  into  little  more  than  a 
Chinese  province  with  a  population  dying  away  before  an  influx  of 
Chinese  settlers  when  Russia's  ambitions  in  that  direction  centered 
world-wide  attention  upon  the  isolated  dominion. 

manchuria's  vast  natural  wealth. 
Manchuria  produces  a  diversity  of  useful  things  and  is  believed 
to  be  very  rich  in  gold,  coal,  iron,  magnetic  iron  ore  and  precious 
stones,  all  of  which  are  mined  in  a  primitive  way.  Tigers  are  some- 
times found  and  panthers,  bears,  wild  boars,  wolves,  foxes  and  hares 
are  numerous.  -  Eagles,  doves  and  various  birds  abound.  The  most 
valuable  of  the  feathered  tribe  is  the  Mongolian  lark,  exported  largely 
because  of  its  natural  ability  to  imitate.  The  fish  wealth  in  the  rivers 
is  enormous.  Cotton,  pulse,  millet,  wheat,  barley  and  tobacco  grow 
luxuriantly,  but  the  most  valuable  products  of  the  soil  in  the  eyes 
of  the  native  are  indigo  and  the  poppy. 

SENATOR  BEVERIDGES  ACCOUNT  OF  THE  BLAGOVESTCHENSK  MASSACRE. 

The  opening  up  of  Manchuria  has  as  its  most  striking  example 
of  bloodshed  the  massacre  at  Blagovestchensk,  in  1900,  heralded  to 
the  world  as  a  frightful  instance  of  Russian  barbarism.  The  town 
is  located  on  the  Siberian  side  of  the  Amur  river,  far  northwest  of 
Vladivostok.  Of  this  ghastly  affair  Senator  Albert  J.  Beveridgc. 
after  investigations  made  on  the  spot,  declares  in  substance: 

"First  of  all,  Russian  boats  were  fired  on  from  the  Chinese  shores. 
The  Chinese  were  observed  to  neglect  their  work  and  gather  in  groups. 
As  the  days  passed  they  were  seen  to  be  laboring  under  some  unex- 
plained excitement.  Then  threats  and  hootings  came  from  the  other 
side.  The  great  Boxer  disturbance,  involving  many  millions  of 
the  yellow  men,  had  been  preparing  for  months  and  was  on  the 
verge  of  being  ignited.  These  Russians  in  Blagovestchensk  were 
right  up  agc.inst  the  fuse  of  this  awful  oriental  bomb,  whose  explo- 
sion, when  it  came,  reverberated  around  the  world. 

"Then  came  the  firing  of  artillery  from  the  Chinese  town  across 
the  river  directly  into  the  Russian  city.     This  was  accompanied  by 


HOME  OF  THE  MANCHU  DYNASTY.  379 

the  firing  of  musketry  and  with  it  wild  demonstrations  on  the  Chinese 
side.  Then  with  the  culmination  of  the  fears  of  the  people  came 
reports  that  Chinese  had  landed  both  below  and  above  the  town. 
Fear  rose  to  a  panic.  Was  another  Chinese  butchery  such  as  had 
more  than  once  horrified  the  world  to  again  occur  in  this  unprotected 
spot  with  thousands  of  unprotected  citizens  and  their  families  as  the 
victims?  If  the  Chinese  in  Blagovestchensk  combined  with  those  on 
the  opposite  shore,  and  a  juncture  was  made  with  the  Chinese  forces 
reported  to  have  been  landed  on  the  Russian  side,  the  destruction 
of  the  little  Russian  city  appeared  to  its  citizens  to  be  inevitable.  The 
shops  were  closed,  business  suspended.  Merchants,  bankers,  clerks, 
artisans  formed  a  military  company.  Any  kind  of  a  weapon  that 
would  shoot  any  kind  of  a  ball  was  utilized.  The  Chinese  in  the  city 
itself  were  driven  down  to  the  river's  edge  below  the  town  and  forced 
into  the  river.     Three  or  four  thousand  perished." 

After  weeks  of  bombardment  the  Russian  city  was  relieved  by 
the  arrival  of  reinforcements.  Across  the  river  swept  the  Russians 
and  annihilated  the  Chinese  town  and  its  menacing  leaders. 

Nearly  5,000  Chinamen  perished  in  the  terrible  massacre  at  Blago- 
vestchensk. In  the  grim  euphemism  of  one  of  the  czar's  generals, 
"They  went  away."  But  so  indulgent  were  the  authorities  after 
the  massacre  that  in  a  few  months  all  the  Chinese  merchants  who 
had  fled  from  the  town,  never  expecting  to  return,  were  back  doing 
business  at  their  old  stands,  and  many  more  had  flocked  in  to  com- 
pete with  them  under  the  protection  of  the  laws  and  paternal  gov- 
ernment of  the  Russians. 

WHAT  OF  THE  "MOSCOW  OF  ASIA"  ? 

An  important  war  brings  into  the  view  of  the  world  many  things 
besides  fleets  and  armies.  That  is  true  now  regarding  localities,  con- 
ditions and  resources  in  Manchuria. 

For  example,  the  announcement  that  Viceroy  Alexieff  had  gone  to 
Harbin,  six  hundred  miles  north  and  a  little  west  of  Port  Arthur, 
and  established  his  headquarters  there  excited  our  interest  in  Harbin. 


380  THE  GREAT  WAR  IN  THE  EAST. 

It  is  generally  known  that  it  is  the  junction  of  the  railway  lines  run- 
ning to  Vladivostok  on  the  east  and  Port  Arthur  on  the  south.  This 
fact  discloses  the  strategic  importance  of  the  place. 

But  what  of  Harbin  itself?  It  is  a  city  only  three  years  pld,  yet 
is  today  the  home  of  60,000  Russians,  not  counting  the  troops  of 
the  Russian  army.  It  has  become  a  great  center  of  commerce  and 
trade  for  all  that  region. 

It  was  in  Harbin  more  than  in  all  the  cities  combined  that  Russia 
was  asserting  her  intentions  of  becoming  an  active  industrial  force 
in  the  affairs  of  the  orient  when  war  was  declared.  Her  people  were 
already  giving  the  place  the  title  of  the  Moscow  of  Asia. 

The  city  is  located  on  the  Sungari  river,  at  the  point  where  the 
Manchuria  branch  of  the  Siberian  railway  crosses  the  stream,  and 
where  the  Chinese  eastern  branch  starts  south  to  Dalny  and  Port 
Arthur.  It  is  about  350  miles  west  of  Vladivostok  and  600  miles 
north  of  Port  Arthur.  Its  location  is  the  geographical  center  of 
Manchuria,  and  it  had  every  prospect  of  becoming  the  commer- 
cial center  as  well.  The  city  is  surrounded  on  all  sides  for  hun- 
dreds of  miles  with  rich  and  productive  agricultural  country,  pro- 
ducing corn,  wheat,  oats,  barley,  beans,  millet,  hemp,  tobacco,  vege- 
tables, and  some  fruits.  Minerals  and  timber  and  great  areas  of 
grazing  lands  also  surround  it. 

At  the  outbreak  of  the  war  the  place  consisted  of  the  old  towns, 
three  miles  from  the  central  depot;  Prestin,  or  the  river  town,  the 
commercial  center,  and  the  administration  town,  in  close  proximity 
to  the  railway  station.  Before  the  railway  engineers  established  this 
as  their  headquarters  there  was  no  native  town  in  this  vicinity,  and 
the  entire  place  was  therefore  a  Russian  product. 

It  was  as  distinctly  a  Russian  city  as  though  it  were  located  in 
the  heart  of  Russia,  and  none  but  Russians  and  Chinese  were  per- 
mitted to  own  land,  construct  buildings,  or  engage  in  any  permanent 
enterprise.  The  city  had  been  created  by  the  Russian  government, 
under  the  management  of  the  Manchurian  Railway  Company.     The 


HOME  OF  THE  MANCHU  DYNASTY.  381 

land  for  many  miles  in  each  direction  had  been  secured  so  as  to  make 
it  impossible  for  any  foreign  influence  to  secure  a  profit  or  foothold 
close  to  the  city,  and  foreigners  were  not  recognized  as  having  any 
rights  whatever,  but  were  permitted  there  on  sufferance. 

In  1900  the  place  began  to  assume  importance  as  a  center  of  rail- 
way-management, and  in  1901  the  population  had  grown  to  12,000 
Russians;  in  1902,  20,000;  by  May,  1903,  44,000,  and  in  October, 
1903,  a  census  showed  a  population  of  60,000,  exclusive  of  soldiers. 
Of  these,  400  were  Japanese  and  300  of  all  other  nationalities,  includ- 
ing Germans,  Austrians,  Greeks  and  Turks.  All  the  rest  were  Rus- 
sians.    There  were  no  Americans. 

The  Sungari  river  was  navigable  with  light-draught  steamers  and 
native  craft  for  nearly  200  miles  above  the  city,  up  both  branches 
of  the  river,  and  much  traffic  had  already  developed  on  these  streams, 
especially  in  wheat. 

From  Harbin  to  the  Amur  river,  during  the  navigation  season, 
which  begins  in  April  and  ends  on  November  1,  good-sized  steamers 
can  run  daily.  Harbin  was  started  primarily  as  a  military  center 
and  an  administration  town,  for  the  government  and  direction  of 
railway  affairs.  Its  growth  into  a  splendid  commercial  and  manu- 
facturing city  was  not  originally  provided  for  by  the  promoters,  and 
it  was  somewhat  of  a  surprise  to  them,  but  the  fever  of  making  it 
a  great  Russian  commercial  and  manufacturing  city  finally  took  pos- 
session of  the  railway  management,  and  every  system  of  promotion 
and  protection  that  could  be  devised  to  increase  its  growth  along 
these  lines  was  energetically  encouraged. 

The  capital  for  most  of  the  private  enterprises  was  furnished  by 
Siberian  Jews.  Chinese  furnished  money  for  the  construction  of 
some  of  the  finest  private  buildings,  such  as  hotels,  store  rooms,  etc. 
In  the  administration  part  of  the  city  no  private  buildings  of  any 
kind  were  permitted. 

The  administration  received  more  than  2,000,000  rubles  ($1,030,- 
000)  for  land  sold  to  private  parties.     Many  elegant  residences  and 


382  THE  GREAT  WAR  IN  THE  EAST. 

substantial  structures  were  erected  in  the  additions  adjacent  to  the 
administration  town.  A  hotel  and  theater  combined  was  built  at 
a  cost  of  60,000  rubles  ($30,900)  and  rented  for  25,000  rubles 
($12,875)  Per  annum. 

The  leading  industry  of  Harbin  was  the  manufacture  of  flour. 
At  the  outbreak  of  the  war  eight  mills  were  in  operation,  all  with 
modern  European  machinery  with  one  exception,  and  that  was  a 
small  one  constructed  with  American  machinery.  Applications  had 
been  made  and  granted  for  the  construction  of  two  more  large  ones. 
They  paid  from  30  to  35  cents  gold  a  bushel  for  their  wheat  delivered 
at  the  mills.  The  value  of  the  flour  mills  as  described  was  1,200,000 
rubles   ($618,000). 

In  the  immediate  vicinity  of  Harbin  were  200  brickmaking  plants, 
the  cost  of  which  was  500,000  rubles  ($257,500).  Two  of  these 
plants  were  constructed  by  the  administration,  at  a  cost  of  200,000 
rubles.  Most  of  the  brick  produced  were  used  in  the  construction 
of  the  city.  A  very  good  grade  of  red  brick  was  produced  and  sold 
for  6.50  rubles  ($3.35)  per  thousand.  Most  of  the  work  was  done 
by  Chinese,  who  were  paid  35  kopecks   (10  cents)  a  day. 

There  were  several  companies  engaged  in  the  meat  packing  busi- 
ness, with  plants  costing  altogether  250,000  rubles  ($128,750).  They 
cured  hams,  bacon,  and  all  varieties  of  smoked  meats,  and  produced 
excellent  articles.  The  hogs  and  cattle  in  this  part  of  the  country 
were  grain-fed,  and  made  splendid  meats,  and  the  Russians  were 
experts  in  preparing  it  for  market. 

There  was  on  the  river  a  small  sawmill  that  cost  15,000  rubles 
($7,750),  and  two  on  the  railway  line  between  Harbin  and  Vladi- 
vostok that  cost  150,000  rubles  ($77,5°°)- 

The  adjacent  country  was  productive  in  wheat,  cattle,  sheep,  hogs, 
millet,  barley,  oats,  corn,  beans,  furs,  hides,  wool,  bristles,  bean  oil, 
bean  cake,  hemp,  tobacco  and  timber,  and  had  various  undeveloped 
mineral  resources;  in  fact,  it  possessed  all  the  natural  elements  for 
the  foundation  of  a  great  city. 


CHAPTER  XXIX. 
HOW  THE  WAR  NEWS  REACHED  AMERICA. 

A  Journey  of  Fifteen  Thousand  Miles — Brave  Little  Spark  Again  Under  Water — 
Cost  of  Getting  the  War  News — The  Russian  Route — Japan  and  the  Amer- 
ican Commercial  Pacific  Cable. 

THE  reader  of  the  war  news  was  aware  that  the  telegraph  sys- 
tems of  the  world  combined  to  give  him  the  information  he 
sought.     As  a  rule,  however,  he  had  little  comprehension  of 
the  distances  covered  in  his  behalf  by  the  electric  current.     The  fol- 
lowing will  therefore  open  his  eyes. 

A  JOURNEY  OF  FIFTEEN  THOUSAND  MILES. 

News  of  the  Russo-Japanese  war  from  day  to  day  came  to  America 
after  traversing  15,000  miles  of  cable  and  telegraph  lines.  From 
Nagasaki,  Japan,  the  tiny  electric  impetus  put  in  motion  by  the  key 
of  the  operator  instantly  plunged  under  the  East  China  sea,  to  land 
in  China,  near  Shanghai,  476  miles  away.  Then  that  little  throb 
worked  southward  round  the  China  coast  to  Hongkong,  945  miles. 
At  Hongkong  (British)  it  dived  under  the  China  sea  to  Saigon,  in 
Anam  (French),  951  miles.  From  Saigon  it  crossed  the  bed  of 
the  sea  to  Singapore  (British),  626  miles,  or  in  some  instances  it  went 
by  way  of  Labuan,  Borneo  (British),  1,971  miles. 

Through  the  Malacca  strait  to  Penang  (398  miles)  was  the  next 
step,  and  then  a  great  plunge  westward  through  the  wild  Nicobars 
and  under  the  tropical  Bengal  sea  (1,389  miles)  to  Madras.  At 
Madras  it  was  transmitted  by  land  to  Bombay. 

383 


384  THE  GREAT  WAR  IN  THE  EAST. 

Never  resting,  the  brave  little  spark  took  to  the  water  again,  travers- 
ing the  broad  Arabian  sea  to  Aden  (1,850  miles),  threading  its  way 
up  the  scorching  Red  sea,  flying  ever  westward,  to  Alexandria  (1,534 
miles).  And  from  Alexandria  deep  under  the  balmy  Mediterranean 
to  Malta,  out  to  Lisbon,  and  so  to  London  (3,205  miles),  and  thence 
across  the  Atlantic. 

COST  OF  GETTING  THE  WAR  NEWS. 

Every  word  forced  so  laboriously  through  those  15,000  miles  of 
solid  wire  cost  65  cents.  This  is  the  newly  reduced  rate  for  press 
messages,  at  which  many  thousands  of  words  were  sent.  For  pri- 
vate messages  the  rate  is  three  times  larger. 

All  the  telegraph  lines  in  Japan  were  owned  by  the  Japanese  gov- 
ernment and  censorship  of  messages  was  therefore  easy. 

THE  RUSSIAN  ROUTE. 

At  Nagasaki,  the  "taking-off"  point  for  the  mainland,  messages 
are  ordinarily  transferred  from  the  Japanese  government  lines  to 
the  Great  Northern  Company  (Danish)  and  cross  either  to  Shanghai 
or  Vladivostok,  naturally  the  former  during  the  war.  From  Vladi- 
vostok the  Northern  company's  line  follows  the  railway  track  across 
frozen  Siberia  to  Libau,  on  the  Baltic.  Only  a  few  of  the  American 
press  messages  took  that  course,  although  it  was  the  route  by  which 
Russia's  vast  volume  of  official  communications  were  transmitted, 
and  continental  Europe  kept  in  touch  with  the  field  of  operations. 
Practically  the  same  route  was  used  most  of  its  length  by  the  Russian 
government  to  keep  in  touch  with  Port  Arthur. 

CABLE  OF  THE  EASTERN   EXTENSION   COMPANY. 

At  Shanghai,  China,  directly  connected  by  cable  with  Nagasaki, 
Japan,  begins  the  cable  of  the  Eastern  Extension  Company  and  the 
eastern  cable  takes  up  the  thread  at  Bombay.  From  Bombay,  also, 
the  Indo-European  line  starts  away  and  travels  overland  by  Bushire 
and  Teheran,  Tiflis,  Odessa  and  Warsaw  to  Berlin,  and  so  to  Eng- 
land. 


JAP  PERFORMER— "THIS  IS  MY  GREAT  CONTINUOUS  PERFORMANCE." 

Drawn  by  J.  H.  Donahey,  of  the  Cleveland  Plain  Dealer 

This  was  Japan's  position  preceding  hostilities.  She  was  juggling  Russia,  while  the  latter,  at  the 
same  time,  was  tossing  around  war,  peace  and  a  mutual  understanding  in  such  a  perplexing 
way  that  no  one  could  tell  which  was  which. 


THE  BEAR— "THIS  WATCHING  TWO  HOLES  AT  ONCE  JUST  DRIVES  ME  WILD." 

Drawn  by  Cartoonist  Rehsc,  of  the  St.  Paul  Pioneer-Press. 

Before  the  outbreak  of  the  Japanese-Russian  war  the  British  had  already  started  their  military 

expedition  into  Tibet.    Watching  the  British  in  Tibet  and  the  Japs  in  Korea 

and  Manchuria,  made  of  the  Great  Bear  a  really  lively  beast. 


WAR  (NEWS 
FAKIRS 

AND 

WAR  PROPHETS] 
JOINT 


ALL — "THESE  ARE  PIPING  TIMES  I" 

Drawn  by  Cartoonist  Maybell,  of  the  Brooklyn  Eagle. 

The  war  correspondents  and  military  experts  are  having  a  glorious  season  In  these  piping  times 
of  war.    They  are  simply  intoxicated  with  the  brilliancy  of  their  own  prophecies. 


"/5> 

FARMER  JAPAN--"  COME  DOWN  OUT  OF  THAT  TREE  !  THOSE  APPLES  BELONG  TO  ME  !'» 

Drawn  by  It.  D.  Handy,  of  the  Duluth  News-Tribune. 

Russia's  astonishment  is  not  feigned,  for  he  was  not  really  aware  (with  Manchuria  in  one  hand 

and  his  grasp  upon  Korea)  that  he  was  in  a  forbidden  tree  until 

Japan  actually  went  gunning  after  him. 


THE  BEAR — "I'VE  STRUCK  A  HORNET'S  NEST  NOW,  SURE!" 

iDrawn  by  R.  D.  Handy,  of  the  Duluth  News-Tribune, 

The  cartoon  is  particularly  pat  because  of  the  great  reliance  which  Japan  placed  upon  her  tor 
pedo  flotillas,  boats  of  that  type  being  called  the  hornets  of  the  navy.    Her  mili- 
tary tactics,  by  sea  and  land,  were  of  the  swift  and  stinging  order. 


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HOW  THE  WAR  NEWS  REACHED  AMERICA. 


401 


The  American  Commercial  Pacific  cable  goes  to  the  Philippines 
and  does  not  touch  Japan.  The  desire  of  Japan  to  bring  about  a 
connection  with  the  American  cable  at  Guam,  which  raised  serious 
questions  on  the  neutrality  of  the  United  States,  grew  out  of  the 
fear  of  Japan  that  Russia  might  cut  her  cable  connections  with 
Shanghai,  and  in  consequence  with  the  whole  world-r-for  cables  are 
not  considered  merely  from  the  standpoint  of  news  transmission  but 
form  an  important  element  in  military  action  and  the  conduct  of 
a  war. 


Uncle  Sam  will  not  have  the  door  closed. 


KEEPER  OF  THE  SCALES  (JUST   BEFORE  THE  WAR)  — "  I   WONDER  WHICH   WAY  THE 

SCALES  WILL  TIP." 

Russia  and  Japan,  each  with  glaring  eyes  and  gigantic  sword,  are  both  politely  protesting  against 

their  warlike  intentions. 


CHAPTER  XXX. 
CHINA,  ANTIQUITY'S  MYSTIC  LAND. 

Were  the  Chinese  From  the  Caspian  Sea  Region? — Fiery  Dogs  and  Ungovernable 
Vermin — Fabulous  Millions  of  Years — China  in  the  Time  of  Christ — Jenghiz 
Khan  Wipes  Out  the  Golden  Dynasty — Early  Warfare  with  Japan  Over  Korea 
— War  Horrors  of  Flood  and  Cannibalism. 

FAR  reaching  into  the  past  though  history  carries  us,  yet  it  utterly 
fails  to  afford  any  accurate  or  trustworthy  account  of  the  origin 
of  the  Chinese  race.     We  are  familiar  with  the  Chinese  since 
before  2,000  B.  C.    The  earliest  records  extant  picture  them  as  wan- 
dering hordes  in  the  forests  of  Shan-se,  without  houses,  clothing  or 
knowledge  of  the  use  of  fire. 

WERE   THE   CHINESE   FROM    THE   CASPIAN   SEA   REGION? 

Some  writers  attribute  the  birthplace  of  the  Chinese  to  the  region 
southeast  of  the  Caspian  sea.  However  that  may  be,  it  is  a  known 
certainty  that  these  nomads  followed  the  course  of  the  Yellow  river 
and  first  established  themselves  in  the  fertile  plains  of  the  modern 
province  of  Shan-se. 

In  their  earliest  records  their  governors  are  referred  to  as  "pastors" 
and  "herdsmen."  An  agricultural  instinct  soon  developed  and  the 
Chinese  early  cultivated  grains,  grew  flax  for  clothing  and  trained 
the  silkworm  to  their  purposes. 

FIERY  DOGS   AND  UNGOVERNABLE   VERMIN. 

The  aborigines  displaced  by  the  Chinese  are  described  by  them 
in  their  early  writings  as  "fiery  dogs  of  the  North,  great  bowmen 

403 


4o4  THE  GREAT  WAR  IN  THE  EAST. 

of  the  East,  mounted  warriors  of  the  West  and  ungovernable  vermin 
of  the  South." 

FABULOUS  MILLIONS  OF  YEARS. 

Chinese  writings  deal  with  a  fabulous  period  of  2,267,000  years, 
between  the  time  when  "heaven  and  earth  united  to  produce  man" 
and  the  time  of  Confucius.  In  the  year  2,356  B.  C.  the  real,  authen- 
ticated history  of  China  begins,  being  given  us  principally  through 
the  writings  of  Confucius.  Prior  to  that  period  the  plow  had  been 
invented  and  the  use  of  fire  made  possible  through  the  discovery  it 
could  be  produced  by  friction.  The  Chow  dynasty,  the  first  of  which 
there  is  any  extensive  record,  came  to  a  close  255  B.  C.  Che 
Hwang-te,  the  first  "universal"  ruler  of  China,  came  to  the  throne 
246  B.  C.  It  was  he  who  first  gave  to  the  country  good  roads,  grand 
canals  and  palatial  public  buildings,  drove  back  the  gathering  hordes 
about  the  limits  of  his  empire,  destroyed  the  feudal  princes  and  recon- 
structed the  great  empire  upon  the  monarchial  principle.  He,  too, 
laid  the  early  foundations  for  the  great  wall  that  stands  today  a 
monument  to  China's  ancient  greatness. 

CHINA  IN  THE  TIME  OF  CHRIST. 

During  the  days  of  Christ  a  notable  rebel,  Wang  Mang,  held  the 
throne  until  slain  by  his  own  soldiers.  Early  in  the  Christian  era 
three  adventurers  seized  the  throne  and  divided  the  empire;  hence 
the  frequent  reference  to  China  as  the  "Three  Kingdoms."  For  200 
years,  closing  about  590  A.  D.,  disorder  was  rampant  and  all  sem- 
blance of  authority  ceased  until  the  establishment  of  the  Suy  dynasty. 
At  that  time  Korea  sought  to  throw  off  Chinese  authority  and  was 
severely  punished  in  consequence.  So  great  was  the  fame  and  power 
of  China  that  in  the  seventh  century  ambassadors  from  Rome  and 
Persia  came  to  pay  court  to  its  rulers  A  Nestorian  priest,  O-lo-peen, 
from  Rome,  so  impressed  the  emperor  that  a  church  was  built  for  him. 

AN   EARLY   CHINESE  QUEEN. 

Through  that  influence  the  history  of  China  experienced  a  sudden 


CHINA,  ANTIQUITY'S  MYSTIC  LAND.  405 

shock  when  in  650  A.  D.  Woo  How  seized  the  reins  of  government. 
Thus  a  woman  became  ruler  of  a  land  where  women  were  regarded 
as  little  else  than  slaves.  She  made  an  excellent  ruler,  but  her  suc- 
cessors were  weak  and  a  monotonous  record  of  feeble  administrations, 
vicious  intrigues,  oppression  and  rebellions  followed.  During  this 
period  China  often  had  the  Arabs  as  allies  in  warfare.  In  907  the 
Tang  dynasty,  "the  golden  age  of  Chinese  literature,"  came  to  an 
end. 

JENGHIZ  KHAN  WIPES  OUT  THE  GOLDEN  DYNASTY. 

The  beginning  of  the  twelfth  century  found  the  Mongol  strength 
growing  and  in  1213  Jenghiz  Khan  swept  over  the  north,  carrying 
destruction  in  his  path  to  over  ninety  cities,  and  seized  the  greater 
part  of  the  empire.  To  his  sons  fell  the  task  of  carrying  on  the 
war.  Indescribable  slaughter  ensued,  resulting  in  driving  the  last 
of  the  "Golden"  dynasty  to  suicide  in  his  palace,  which  he  burned 
over  his  head  to  save  his  body  from  the  enemy.  The  reign  of  the 
Manchu  was  at  hand. 

THE  GREAT  KHAN'S  ILLUSTRIOUS  REIGN. 

In  1259  Kublai  ascended  the  throne  as  the  grandest  monarch  of 
Asia.  VWith  the  exception  of  Hindustan,  Arabia  and  the  western 
fringe  of  Asia  all  the  Mongol  princes  declared  themselves  vassals 
of  the  "Great  Khan."  It  was  during  that  illustrious  reign  that  Marco 
Polo  visited  China.  Despite  his  magnificence,  discretion  and  munifi- 
cence, Kublai  was  regarded  by  the  people  as  a  barbarian  alien  and 
he  died  unwept  in  1294.  After  a  long  series  of  family  reverses  the 
dynasty  gave  way  to  the  son  of  a  Chinese  laborer  in  1368. 

THE   MING  DYNASTY. 

The  latter,  Choo  Yuen-chang,  subdued  the  Mongols,  extended  and 
reorganized  China,  re-established  Buddhism  as  the  recognized  religion 
and  became  the  founder  of  the  Ming  dynasty.  Disorder  and  war 
again  had  their  long  inning.    During  the  ten  years  elapsing  between 


4o6  THE  GREAT  WAR  IN  THE  EAST. 

1 426- 1 436   Cochin-China    rebelled   and   became   independent.      Civil 
war  and  invasion  tore  the  land. 

EARLY    WARFARE    WITH    JAPAN    OVER    KOREA. 

In  1542  came  a  Tartar  invasion  and  a  little  later  the  Japanese 
carried  destruction  by  fire  and  sword  through  the  littoral  provinces. 
Until  1597  the  Japs  and  Chinese  fought  almost  incessantly  over 
Korea,  which  finally  fell  under  Chinese  direction  after  great  sacrifice 
of  life. 

WAR    HORRORS    OF    FLOOD    AND    CANNIBALISM. 

In  161 6  the  last  great  Manchu  move  on  China  set  in.  From 
tribute  payers  they  evolved  into  conquerors — not,  however,  until  the 
horrors  of  war  made  the  sale  of  human  flesh  a  common  sight  in  the 
market  places  of  scores  of  famine-stricken,  besieged  cities.  It  was 
during  this  period  that  "China's  sorrow,"  the  Yellow  river,  was  made 
to  flood  the  country  as  a  war  measure,  costing  200,000  lives  in 
Kaiping  Foo  alone. 

FINAL  ESTABLISHMENT  OF  THE  MANCHU  DYNASTY. 

The  Manchu  dynasty  was  again  established — this  time  permanently 
— in  1644.  Oppressed  became  oppressor,  and  to  this  day  a  Manchu 
occupies  the  throne.  The  shaved  head  and  the  queue,  evidences  of 
submission  to  Tartar  sovereignty,  followed. 

A  German  Jesuit  exercised  great  influence  at  Pekin  as  early  as 
1656,  although,  as  has  been  shown,  Christianity  was  carried  to  the 
Chinese  centuries  before.  At  that  time  (1656)  the  first  Russian 
embassy  was  presented.  Refusal  of  the  envoy  to  kow-tow  before 
the  emperor  resulted  in  his  exclusion.  Kang-he,  who  ascended  the 
throne  in  1661,  proved  an  able  and  scholarly  ruler.  He  was  largely 
under  the  Jesuit  influence.  Under  his  rule  Tibet  was  added  to  the 
Chinese  empire  in  1720  through  a  great  victory  over  the  Eleuts. 

THE    CZAR  OF   MUSCOVY  AT    PEKIN. 

"In  November  of  the  same  year,"  quaintly  adds  an  old  writer,  "the 


THE  STORY  OF  MODERN  CHINA. 


407 


czar  of  Muscovy  made  his  public  entry  into  Pekin,  with  a  numerous 
and  splendid  train,  habited  after  the  European  manner." 

This  odd  passage,  which  in  itself  throws  no  small  amount  of  light 
on  Russian  methods  of  dealing  with  oriental  peoples,  refers  to  the 
unsuccessful  mission  of  a  Russian  commercial  agent  seeking  the 
adoption  of  measures  for  the  establishment  of  free  commerce. 

The  story  of  ancient  China  may  be  said  to  close  with  the  great 
earthquake  of  1731,  the  most  disastrous  disturbance  of  nature  recorded 
in  Chinese  history. 

In  and  near.  Pekin  alone  400,000  souls  perished  and  throughout  the 
land  multitudes  were  swallowed  up. 


JAP — "Now  for  a  Jiu-jitsu  trick." 


Mfyf*l 


SECRETARY  HAY— "I  WILL  CONFINE  THE  FIRE  TO  THE  PAGODA,  IF  I  CAN.' 

Drawn  by  Cartoonist  Maybell,  of  the  Brooklyn  Eagle. 

Secretary  Hay  Is  doing  all  he  can,  by  plowing  deeply  around  China,  to  keep  the  fire  within  bound 
It  Is  good  for  outsiders,  but  poor  John  Chinaman  is  caught  In  the  Qre-trap. 


CHAPTER  XXXI. 
THE  STORY  OF  MODERN  CHINA. 

Dark  War  Cloud  Gathers— Enter  England  and  America— Side  Lights  on  the  Opium 
Traffic— The  Chinese  Worm  Turns— Reign  of  Slaughter  Continues— Peace  at 
Last— More  Strife  and  Bloodshed— England  Again  Makes  War— The  Historic 
Gordon  on  the  Scene. 

RIVALED  only  in  its  bloody  record  by  the  narrative  of  its  past, 
modern  China  may  be  regarded  as  dating  from  the  accession 
of  Kien-long,   or  Kien   Lung,   to  the   throne  in    1736.      He 
extended  the  Chinese  dominions  and  unsuccessfully  invaded  Burma 
and  Cochin-China.     Eastern   Turkestan  was   added   to  the  empire 
under  his  rule. 

Cruelty  characterized  his  reign  and  after  the  Mohammedan  stand- 
and  was  raised  at  Kansuh  10,000  Mussulmans  were  exiled,  and  of 
what  remained  all  over  fifteen  years  old  were  put  to  the  sword  in  1784. 
Because  of  unsatisfactory  relations  between  China  and  the  British 
East  India  Company  George  III  sent  the  famous  embassy  headed  by 
Lord  Macartney  to  the  Chinese  court.  Although  the  embassy  was 
regally  received  its  commercial  aims  were  not  attained.  The  expe- 
riences and  observations  of  its  members  were  presented  to  the  world 
and  served  to  throw  light  upon  the  then  great  half-civilized  power. 
China  continued  in  strife,  internal  and  external,  until  1795,  when 
Kien  Long  abdicated  in  favor  of  his  fifteenth  son,  Kra-King. 

DARK  WAR   CLOUD  GATHERS. 

Pirates  operating  along  the  entire  Chinese  coast  and  the  clamor 

409 


4io  THE  GREAT  WAR  IN  THE  EAST. 

of  foreign  merchants,  established  in  Canton,  disturbed  his  reign. 
The  former  were  finally  disbanded.  The  latter  were  sounding  the 
warning  for  new  troubles  for  China,  the  like  of  which  it  had  not 
experienced.  In  1816  another  English  embassy,  under  Lord  Am- 
herst, sailed  up  the  Peiho  to  impress  the  Chinese  government.  Like 
its  predecessors,  it  accomplished  little. 

ENTER  ENGLAND  AND  AMERICA. 

Taow-Kwang  ascended  the  throne  in  1821,  having  been  selected 
in  consequence  of  having  saved  his  father's  life  in  an  insurrection 
that  occurred  in  1813.  He  is  the  first  Chinese  ruler  whose  name  is 
connected  with  English  and  American  history.  Insurrection  and 
rebellion  characterized  the  opening  years  of  his  reign,  fostered  by  the. 
"Triad  society" — probably  the  "Boxers"  of  those  days.  But  a  war 
was  at  hand  with  an  external  enemy  far  more  formidable — an  enemy 
whose  tactics  and  equipment  were  to  prove  sources  of  astonishment 
and  humiliation  to  China  far  beyond  the  capability  of  her  ablest  men 
to  anticipate. 

SIDE  LIGHTS  ON  THE  OPIUM  TRAFFIC. 

Commercial  intercourse  with  England  was  entirely  in  the  hands 
of  the  British  East  India  Company  until  1834,  when  its  monopoly 
expired.  All  British  subjects  were  then  at  liberty  to  send  ships  to 
Canton  to  trade.  There  was  strong  temptation  to  deal  in  opium, 
which,  while  prohibited  from  importation  by  imperial  Chinese  edict, 
was  eagerly  purchased  by  the  natives  when  offered.  Enormous  quan- 
tities were  smuggled  into  China  in  a  systematic  manner  by  the  East 
India  Company,  which  found  the  trade  in  the  hands  of  the  Por- 
tuguese when  it  appeared  in  the  field.  Bribery  and  system  enabled 
the  company  to  accomplish  without  any  great  friction  what  caused 
scandal  when  attempted  by  hordes  of  free-booters  that  followed  in 
its  wake.  These  enterprising  tradesmen  were  so  bitter  in  complain- 
ing of  the  treatment  accorded  them  by  the  Chinese  that  an  English 
government   official   was   sent   to   act   as  commercial   superintendent 


THE  STORY  OF  MODERN  CHIXA.  411 

at  Canton,  where  favored  nations  were  allowed  to  trade  and  conduct 
factories  and  warehouses  outside  the  city  walls. 

THE   CHINESE   WORM  TURNS. 

Finally  a  desperate  situation  developed,  the  Chinese  seizing  and 
destroying  all  the  opium  unlawfully  smuggled  into  port,  20,283 
chests,  which  was  surrendered  by  the  English  through  fear  of  death 
on  April  3,  1839.  The  honesty  of  purpose  governing  the  Chinese 
is  attested  by  the  fact  that  the  drug  was  publicly  destroyed  by  quick 
lime.  England,  threatened  with  the  loss  of  a  market  for  India's 
opium,  made  the  circumstance  the  ground  for  a  declaration  of  war, 
and  in  1840  began  the  struggle  which  at  the  point  of  the  bayonet 
guaranteed  the  spread  of  the  loathsome  habit  with  its  terrible  con- 
sequences. The  British  captured  Chusan  and  destroyed  the  Bogue 
forts,  with  great  slaughter,  compelled  the  permanent  gift  of  Hong 
Kong  as  a  British  possession  and  agreed  upon  peace  if  paid  an  in- 
demnity of  $6,000,000.  The  Chinese  emperor,  who  could  not  under- 
stand the  odds  against  which  his  troops  and  junks  contended,  dis- 
missed and  degraded  the  commissioner  who  brought  him  the  pro- 
posal and  ordered  the  war  to  proceed. 

REIGN    OF  SLAUGHTER   CONTINUES. 

Canton,  Amoy,  Ningpo,  Tinghai,  Chafoo,  Shanghai  and  Chin 
Keang  Foo  were  next  taken,  some  without  resistance,  others  with 
loss  of  life  which  is  fearful  to  contemplate.  Utter  unpreparedness 
and  the  absence  of  adequate  war  equipment  were  not  the  only  handi- 
caps the  Chinese  suffered,  for  they  were  without  leadership  because 
of  the  inability  of  the  emperor  to  realize  the  new  weapons  and  con- 
ditions favoring  the  enemy.  Therefore  he  was  kept  in  the  dark  con- 
cerning developments  and  a  halting,  disorganized  campaign  of  de- 
fense was  conducted — in  reality  merely  a  fight  for  time  to  devise 
some  saving  expedient. 

Finally,  when  before  Nankin,  the  British  were  stopped  by  serious 


4i2  THE  GREAT  WAR  IN  THE  EAST. 

peace  proposals  and  the  war  ended  on  Aug.  29,  1842,  through  a 
treaty  giving  England  $21,000,000  indemnity,  ceding  Hong  Kong 
to  the  British  crown  and  opening  five  treaty  ports  with  British  consuls 
and  British  regulation  of  tariffs. 

Shortly  after  those  events — in  1845— the  United  States  established 
peaceful  commercial  relations  with  China.  The  emperor  died,  with 
the  country  involved  in  rebellion,  in  1850. 

MORE  STRIFE  AND  BLOODSHED. 

His  son  and  successor,  Heen-fung,  contended  with  not  only  the 
indescribable  confusion  that  prevailed  preceding  his  father's  death, 
but  with  a  rebel  leader  who  developed  great  strength  and  ability  for 
organization,  and  after  many  victories  set  himself  up  at  Nankin  as 
Teen  Wang,  "Heavenly  King,"  and  inaugurator  of  the  Tai  Ping 
dynasty.  For  a  time  indications  pointed  to  permanent  success  for 
Teen  Wang.  The  government's  troubles  with  Europe  made  his  suc- 
cesses possible,  and  just  as  surely  brought  the  agency  for  his  undoing. 

ENGLAND  AGAIN   MAKES  WAR. 

England  again  declared  war  against  the  Tartar  dynasty  in  1857, 
in  consequence  of  the  "Arrow"  affair.  Canton  was  seized  by  the 
English  and  Lord  Elgin  subdued  the  Taku  forts  and  started  up  the 
Peiho  to  proceed  to  the  capital.  He  was  met  by  a  peace  commis- 
sion, en  route,  and  arranged  a  treaty  to  be  ratified  at  Pekin  the  fol- 
lowing year.  When  an  attempt  was  made  to  pass  the  Taku  forts  for 
that  purpose  they  resisted.  French  and  English  allies  attacked  and 
silenced  the  forts,  moved  to  Pekin  and  held  the  An-ting  gate  at  the 
capital  until  a  treaty  of  peace  was  ratified  entailing  a  war  indemnity 
of  8,000,000  taels,  Oct.  24,  i860. 

THE    HISTORIC   GORDON   ON    THE   SCENE. 

Heen-Fung  died  shortly  after,  was  succeeded  by  a  child,  and  Major 
Gordon  of  the  English  Royal  Engineers  took  charge  of  the  reorgani- 
zation of  the  army  for  the  government.     He  soon  brought  it  into 


CHINA,  ANTIQUITY'S  MYSTIC  LAND. 


413 


shape  to  successfully  proceed  against  Teen  Wang  and  his  Tai-pings, 
who  were  exterminated. 

In  1873  Tung  Che,  the  child  ruler,  succeeded  to  active  government 
in  place  of  a  regency,  only  to  die  two  years  later  without  issue  and 
guiltless  of  any  important  public  action.  His  successor  was  Kwang- 
seu,  the  present  emperor,  then  only  four  years  old,  a  cousin  of  Tung 
Che.  With  the  advent  of  this  princeling  to  the  dynastic  succession 
came  the  regency  that  seems  to  have  secured  a  firm  and  permanent 
hold  on  the  reins  of  government  and  which  has  had  as  the  most 
striking  features  of  its  past  the  Japanese  war  and  the  "Boxer"  upris- 
ing to  contend  with. 


CZAR— "The  yellow-kid  must  go." 


THE  MIKADO — "DON'T  PUSH.     GIVE  ME  ROOM." 

Drawn  by  ( 'artoouist  Maybcll.  of  the  Brooklyn  Kagle. 

It  i   claimed  that  the  emperor  of  Japan  was  pushed  Into  his  fight  with  Russia  by  the  clamors  of 

the  war  parly.     The  same  claim  was  made  for  the  czar.;  [Doubtless 

both  claims  were  correct  to  a  certain  extent. 


CHAPTER  XXXII. 
THE  PERPLEXING  WAR  OF  J894-'95. 

The  Chinese  Puzzle  Fairly  Before  the  World — China's  Real  Weakness  Exposed- 
Like  a  Comic  Opera  Plot — Fellow  Conspirator  Escapes  Death — International 
Muddle  Begins — Korean  Army  Takes  to  the  Woods — China  Prepares  to 
Root  Out  the  "Wojen" — The  Japs  Swarm  Over  the  Great  Chinese  Guns. 

WAR  between  China  and  Japan,  a  decade  prior  to  the  Jap- 
anese-Russian conflict,   forms  the  connecting  link  between 
past  and  present.     That  struggle  grew  out  of  ancient  causes 
and  conditions.     Out  of  its  consequences  developed  the  struggle  be- 
tween Jap  and  Russ  in  1904. 

THE   CHINESE  PUZZLE   FAIRLY   BEFORE  THE   WORLD. 

Until  the  sanguinary  test  of  strength  between  the  two  yellow  neigh- 
bors China  was  more  or  less  of  a  puzzle  to  the  nations.  Like  a 
lumbering  old  superannuated  St.  Bernard  in  a  kennel  she  lay,  serenely 
ignoring  the  jealous  powers  sneakingly  snatching-  at  concessions  and 
her  outlying  possessions.  Gigantic  in  proportions,  indications  sug- 
gested that  it  might  be  dangerous  to  arouse  the  ungainly  old  sleeper. 
Sharp  teeth  and  powerful  claws  might  underlie  that  benign  aspect 
of  stupendous  stupidity.  None  of  the  European  powers  cared  to 
incur  the  risk  of  stirring  up  the  teeming  millions  of  China,  who  might 
prove  fighters  despite  the  pacific  routine  of  their  lives. 

china's  real  weakness  exposed. 

Japan  proved  the  little  terrier  that  was  to  stir  up  the  slumbering 

415 


4i6  THE  GREAT  WAR  IN  THE  EAST. 

St.  Bernard,  tear  off  the  yellow  dragon's  mask  and  reveal  tottering, 
decadent  China  in  her  true  light — the  cripple  of  nations.  This  work 
accomplished,  it  is  an  oft-told  story  how  the  powers  stripped  Japan 
of  the  most  coveted  spoils  of  the  conflict,  and  how  with  the  instinct 
of  primitive  creatures  they  have  harried  the  cripple  for  all  she  had 
to  give  and  took  through  coercion  what  she  refused.  It  is  an  old 
story  how  often  and  how  directly  the  United  States  opposed  the 
forcible  disintegration  of  China  and  prevented  annihilation  of  the 
St.  Bernard  and  the  picking  of  the  giant's  bones.  Readers  of  this 
work  are  already  familiar  with  the  relation  of  the  Chinese- Japanese 
war  to  the  Japo-Russian  conflict  through  Russian  possession  of  Port 
Arthur,  so  with  this  slight  digression  we  will  return  to  the  war  of 
i894-'95  and  its  causes. 

LIKE   A   COMIC   OPERA    PLOT. 

For  many  years  Korea  had  acknowledged  Chinese  suzerainty;  in 
the  seventeenth  century  renewed  conditions  of  vassalage  were  accepted, 
and  in  the  trade  regulations  of  1882  Korea  definitely  recognized 
China's  suzerainty.  The  time-honored  traditional  assassination,  so 
essential  to  all  stories  of  the  orient,  figures  as  the  crucial  fact  from 
which  developed  the  Chinese- Japanese  war  over  Korea. 

In  1884  Kim-ok-Kiun,  Korean  minister  to  Japan,  attempted  to 
make  himself  dictator  of  Korea.  Japanese  sympathy  and  support 
were  enlisted  in  his  rebellion.  When  it  failed  he  fled  to  Japan  and 
was  warmly  received — in  fact,  protected  as  a  government  protege. 
Nine  years  later,  in  March,  1893,  ne  was  lured  to  China,  where  at 
Shanghai  he  was  assassinated  by  order  of  the  Korean  king.  This 
angered  the  Japanese,  but  not  nearly  so  much  as  what  followed  at 
Tokyo,  where  the  next  act  of  this  tragic  although  opera  bouffe  variety 
of  statesmanship  took  place. 

FELLOW  CONSPIRATOR  ESCAPES  DEATH. 

Kim-ok-Kiun  had  a  fellow  conspirator  at  Tokyo,  Baku  Eiko  by 
name.     Baku  was  too  well  versed  in  the  ways  of  the  East  to-be 


THE  PERPLEXING  WAR  OF  i894-'95.  417 

induced  to  visit  the  land  of  his  offenses.  So  the  Korean  avengers 
sought  him  in  the  Japanese  capital.  Two  brothers  by  the  name  of 
Ken  attempted  the  assassination,  failed  and  took  refuge  in  the  resi- 
dence of  Mr.  Yu,  Korean  charge  d'affaires  at  Tokyo.  For  three 
days  Yu  refused  to  give  them  up  to  the  Japanese  authorities  sur- 
rounding his  official  residence.  When  he  surrendered  them  at  last 
it  was  to  fly  from  Japan  himself,  without  awaiting  the  formalities 
customarily  surrounding  the  departure  of  one  of  his  station. 

Diplomatic  conflict  between  Japan  and  Korea  followed  and  the 
latter  was  called  upon  to  satisfactorily  answer  two  questions  under 
pain  of  unpleasant   consequences.     These  questions  were: 

(1)  Why  did  the  Korean  charge  d'affaires  depart  from  Tokyo 
after  the  attempted  assassination  without  notifying  the  Japanese  gov- 
ernment of  his  intention — was  it  to  avoid  being  implicated  in  awk- 
ward revelations  when  the  Ken  brothers  were  examined? 

(2)  Did  the  Korean  king  instruct  any  of  his  subjects,  or  know 
they  were  instructed,  to  kill  a  Korean  living  under  Japanese  pro- 
tection ? 

INTERNATIONAL   MUDDLE   BEGINS. 

While  these  diplomatic  exchanges  were  passing  a  rebellion  devel- 
oped in  Korea,  directed  against  official  extortion.  On  May  23,  1894, 
the  Chinese  officials  at  the  Korean  capital,  numbering  about  forty, 
were  murdered.  A  few  days  later  a  Chinese  expedition,  summoned 
by  the  Korean  king,  reached  the  storm  center  to  subdue  the  rebels. 
Meanwhile  Korea's  reply  to  Japan's  demands  evidently  proved  unsat- 
isfactory, for  on  June  22  a  strong  Japanese  force  occupied  the  coun- 
try.   The  Japs  landed  at  Ninson  and  seized  Seoul  and  Chemulpo. 

KOREAN    ARMY   TAKES   TO   THE    WOODS. 

Twenty  battalions  of  Chinese  were  ordered  to  Korea  on  July  1 
to  repel  the  invaders.  On  the  following  day  the  royal  Korean  army 
was  routed  by  the  Japanese  troops  and  literally  "took  to  the  woods," 
utterly  demoralized. 


4i8  THE  GREAT  WAR  IN  THE  EAST. 

Minister  Otori,  Japan's  representative,  then  presented  a  plan  for 
the  reformation  of  Korea  and  to  harmonize  the  interests  of  China, 
Japan  and  Korea.  He  proposed  new  laws,  railroad  construction,  de- 
velopment of  the  country's  resources,  a  reorganized  army,  modern 
educational  institutions,  the  removal  of  "personages  of  too  great  influ- 
ence" and  of  all  foreign  advisers  from  Korea.  China  refused  to 
join  in  any  proposal  so  long  as  Japanese  troops  remained  in.  Korea. 
Otori  then  announced  that  Japan  would  alone  unite  with  Korea  in 
bringing  about  the  reforms.  On  July  23  he  was  fired  on  by  Korean 
soldiers  acting  under  orders  of  the  dominant  party  in  Korea.  The 
following  day  the  Korean  king  contributed  further  to  the  comic- 
opera  complication  by  declaring  independence  of  China. 

JAPAN  STRIKES  UNEXPECTED  BLOW. 

Korean  soldiers  attacked  the  Japanese  garrison  at  Seoul  on  July 
24  and  were  repulsed.  Meanwhile  Japan  had  sunk  the  Kow-Shung, 
a  Chinese  transport,  crowded  with  troops.  The  Toonan  met  the 
same  fate,  the  king  of  Korea  had  been  taken  prisoner  and  the  Chinese 
warships  Taso-Khan  and  Chen-Yuen,  with  two  cruisers,  were  cap- 
tured or  sent  to  the  bottom  by  Japanese  torpedo  boats.  After  these 
developments  Japan  formally  declared  war  against  China  on  Aug.  1, 
charging  bad  faith  and  false  pretense  against  China.  China  promptly 
assumed  the  arbitrament  of  war  in  a  declaration  of  hostilities,  accus- 
ing Japan  of  having  acted  the  bully  with  Korea  and  of  treachery  and 
violation  of  all  international  law  in  the  destruction  of  unprepared 
Chinese  warships  and  transports  in  the  absence  of  hostile  declara- 
tions. 

CHINA   PREPARES  TO  ROOT   OUT  THE   "WOJEN." 

All  loyal  Chinese  were  warned  against  the  "wojen"  (pygmies  or 
vermin)  and  orders  were  given  the  "various  armies  to  hasten  with 
all  speed  to  root  the  'wojen'  out  of  their  lairs." 

The  belligerent  activity  of  Japan  preceding  the  declaration  of  war 
necessitated  apology  to  England  for  the  destruction  of  the  British 


THE  PERPLEXING  WAR  OF   i894-'9S.  419 

ship  Kow-Shung,  sunk  with  1,000  souls  while  being  used  as  a  Chi- 
nese transport.  Warlike  activity  increased  after  the  formal  declara- 
tion and  an  offensive  treaty  with  Korea  hastily  followed,  terminable 
at  the  close  of  the  campaign.  Japan's  torpedo  boats  had  meanwhile 
followed  up  their  wonderful  first  thrusts  and  spread  terror  among  the 
Chinese. 

In  the  destruction  of  the  Kow-Shung  and  its  human  freight  Japan 
compelled  China  to  abandon  Asan,  which  carried  the  war  to  the  north 
of  Korea.  Hwang- Ju  and  Ping  Yang  fell  before  Japanese  assaults, 
2,000  Chinese  being  killed  and  21,000  taken  prisoners  in  the  two 
battles.     Japan  thus  obtained  control  of  Korea. 

GREAT  PECHILI  NAVAL  BATTLE. 

Six  hours'  incessant  battle  between  twelve  Chinese  ironclads  and 
eleven  Japanese  warships  and  the  attendant  torpedo  boats  of  each 
fleet  followed  on  Sept.  17  and  afforded  the  world  the  first  real  test 
of  modern  steel  men-of-war  in  action  under  fire.  This  famous  and 
desperate  battle  took  place  in  the  gulf  of  Pechili  and  was  bitterly 
contested.  Without  the  loss  of  a  ship  the  Japs  destroyed  seven  of 
the  Chinese  fleet  and  forced  the  others  to  seek  refuge  at  Port  Arthur. 
This  exhibition  of  Japanese  ability  in  handling  ships  and  guns  proved 
a  revelation  to  naval  and  military  experts  the  world  over  and  afforded 
the  first  opportunity  to  gauge  the  aptitude  of  the  Japanese  in  adopting 
modern  methods  of  warfare. 

JAPANESE  MOVE  ON   PORT  ARTHUR. 

This  victory  enabled  Japan  to  begin  operations  at  the  Yalu  river, 
destined  to  be  the  scene  of  later  warfare  with  the  Russians.  Up  into 
Manchuria  they  worked  their  way  and  took  Mukden  and  siege  was 
laid  to  Port  Arthur.  On  Nov.  18  the  Japanese  movement  down  the 
peninsula  was  temporarily  frustrated.  Later,  upon  routing  the  2,000 
Chinese  who  opposed  them,  the  Japs  found  the  wounded  they  had 
previously  had  to  abandon  horribly  mutilated  with  hands  and  feet 
cut  off.    On  the  20th  the  Japs  were  within  four  miles  of  the  Chinese 


420  THE  GREAT  WAR  IN  THE  EAST. 

stronghold  and  were  attacked  by  the  Chinese  in  force.     The  Chinese 
were  defeated  after  a  desperate  encounter,  extending  over  five  hours. 

THE  JAPS  SWARM  OVER  THE  BIG  CHINESE  GUNS. 

Port  Arthur  fell  the  following  day  with  its  nine  sea  forts  and 
eleven  land  forts.  At  6  o'clock  in  the  morning  the  Japanese  fleet 
made  a  demonstration  against  the  Chinese  forts  and  warships.  Half 
an  hour  later  the  Japanese  artillery  opened  fire  from  positions  taken 
up  during  the  night.  At  8  o'clock  the  first  of  the  land  forts  to  fall 
were  taken  by  assault.  By  i  o'clock  the  last  of  the  forts  had  fallen 
before  terrific  infantry  assaults.  In  the  face  of  the  Chinese  fire  the 
Japs  simply  swarmed  over  the  great  guns.  The  sea  forts  gave  up 
without  a  fight. 

Then  the  victorious  Japs  advanced  upon  the  city,  where  the  resi- 
dents, armed  with  rifles  and  explosive  bullets,  gave  battle.  From 
house  to  'house  the  struggle  waged  until  darkness  ended  the  battle. 

THE  LOSS  OF  LIFE  AT   PORT    ARTHUR. 

About  18,000  men  were  engaged  on  each  side  in  the  action  at 
Port  Arthur.  The  Japs  emerged  with  250  dead.  The  Chinese  dead 
numbered   1,500. 

That  great  action  was  the  beginning  of  the  end.  American  diplo- 
mats played  no  small  part  in  the  preliminary  arrangements  for 
peace.  The  final  conclusion,  however,  was  in  reality  largely  a  matter 
of  European  diplomacy.  Japan's  original  peace  terms  included  an 
indemnity  of  400,000,000  yen  in  installments,  with  the  cession  to  her 
of  the  Chinese  territory  she  then  occupied.  How  European  diplo- 
macy prevented  the  realization  of  that  dream  is  a  familiar  story  to 
those  who  have  read  the  chapter  devoted  to  the  cause  of  the  Japanese- 
Russian  war. 


CHAPTER  XXXIII. 
THE  BOXER  UPRISING. 

How  the  Eyes  of  the  Nations  Were  Opened — Critics  of  the  Bible  and  Western 
"Civilization" — "Squeak  of  the  Celestial  Pig" — Ancestral  Worship  a  Con- 
tributing Cause — Missionaries  Charged  With  Bewitching  Children — United 
States  Saves  China — Chinese  View  of  Foreign  Invasion. 

NO  circumstance  of  modern  times  has  tended  to  bring  us  face 
to  face  with  the  strange  contrasts  between  Occidental  and 
Oriental  civilization  so  forcibly  as  the  Chinese  Boxer  uprising 
of  1900.  The  physical  protest  of  uncounted  thousands  of  yellow 
men  against  the  "foreign  devils"  swarming  into  their  land  proved  a 
revelation  to  the  world.     Rather,  it  was  a  series  of  revelations. 

HOW  THE  EYES  OF  THE  NATIONS  WERE  OPENED. 

Primarily  it  opened  the  eyes  of  the  nations  to  the  almost  unalterable 
hatred  lurking  beneath  the  calm,  bland  smile  of  the  native  Chinaman. 
Secondarily,  it  afforded  a  marvelous  opportunity  for  the  Japanese 
to  demonstrate  the  advancement  a  brief  period  of  intercourse  with 
western  nations  had  wrought  for  them.  Both  conditions  were  fully 
attested  before  the  armies  of  the  nations  of  the  world,  called  thither 
by  the  disordeY,  departed  for  their  native  shores. 

It  required  the  armies  of  all  the  powers  to  suppress  the  riotous, 

maddened  Boxer — affording  the  only  example  in  history  when  the 

armies  of  the  world's  leading  nations  stood  shoulder  to  shoulder  in  a 

common  cause. 

421  . 


422  THE  GREAT  WAR  IN  THE  EAST. 

The  origin  of  the  term  "Boxer,"  or  "Spirit  Boxer,"  is  found  in 
the  evmnastic  exercises  that  constituted  the  drill  of  the  members 
and  in  their  mysterious  incantations.  "Ta  Tao  Hui" — "Great  Sword 
Society" — is  one  of  the  official  titles  recognized  by  the  leaders.  It  is 
one  of  numerous  secret  organizations  of  China  having  political  and 
religious  significance  and  undoubted  ancient  origin.  Whatever  its 
original  pet  aversions,  which  probably  included  the  Manchu  dynasty, 
its  interest  suddenly  centered  upon  foreigners  and  their  religion. 
Throughout  the  late  8o's  the  feeling  of  hatred  grew  until  it  finally 
developed  into  contempt — a  most  dangerous  sentiment  among  such  a 
people.  Its  denouement  came  in  the  whirlwind  of  terror,  murder  and 
pillage  that  shocked  the  entire  world  in  1900. 

CRITICS   OF   THE    BIBLE    AND    WESTERN    "CIVILIZATION." 

Slanders  directed  against  the  missionary  and  the  religion  he 
brought  proved  the  most  potent  influences  in  precipitating  the  reign 
of  terror.  Educated  Chinese  are  keen  critics  of  the  Christian  Bible. 
As  a  rule,  they  confess  the  beauty  of  its  precepts,  but  cannot  recog- 
nize in  them  any  superiority  to  the  moral  teachings  of  Confucius.  The 
miracles  recited  are  immediately  compared  with  their  own  fabulous 
legends.  The  Biblical  story  of  how  Joshua  compelled  the  sun  to 
stand  still  does  not  impress  them  nearly  so  much  as  their  own  legend 
of  the  moon  having  been  eaten  by  a  dragon.  The  missionaries  rather 
than  their  teachings  shocked  the  Chinese  mind.  Chinese  ideas  of 
propriety  are  the  most  straight-laced  in  the  world.  Missionaries, 
despite  conscientious  effort,  have  not  been  able  to  live  up  to  them. 
This  is  particularly  true  of  the  women,  whose  western  freedom  of 
action  was  and  is  regarded  by  the  Chinese  as  scandalous  in  the  ex- 
treme. 

It  was  not  unnatural,  therefore,  in  the  Oriental  mind  to  regard 
the  white  man  and  his  wife  as  unmentionable  barbarians  and  their 
religion  as  a  "wave  of  darkness."  Unfortunately,  the  white  man  is 
not  free  from  faults  and  vices.  Sailors,  marines,  legation  guards, 
diplomatic   attaches   and   adventurous    traders — the  white  characters 


THE  BOXER  UPRISING.  423 

most  familiar  to  the  Chinese — do  not  always  represent  all  that  is 
gentlest,  most  honorable,  moral  or  best  in  Occidental  society.  The 
contrast  afforded  by  this  element  to  the  teachings  of  the  missionary 
was  hardly  calculated  to  increase  Chinese  respect  for  the  white  man 
or  his  religious  message. 

AN   ANALOGOUS  ILLUSTRATION. 

The  spirit  aroused  by  the  efforts  of  teacher  and  medical  mis- 
sionary was  something  akin  to  the  protest  that  would  follow  the  ad- 
vent of  a  company  of  respectable  Chinese  laundrymen  in  any  first- 
class  American  community  with  the  avowed  purpose  of  establishing 
an  orphanage  and  temple  to  be  filled  by  adopting  American  children 
and  proselytizing  among  American  homes. 

In  addition  to  this  quite  natural  resentment,  slanders  of  the  most 
vicious  kind  found  circulation  among  the  ignorant  and  superstitious. 
In  China,  thirty-one  portions  of  the  human  anatomy  are  regarded  as 
possessing  extremely  valuable  medicinal  properties.  It  required  no 
great  stretch  of  the  Chinese  imagination  to  picture  the  hated  bar- 
barians killing  Chinese  children  to  secure  the  medical  treasures. 

"squeak  of  the  celestial  pig." 

As  a  means  of  expressing  the  name  of  God,  the  early  Catholics  in 
China  adopted  the  words,  "Tien  Chu,"  signifying  "Lord  of  Heaven." 
"Kau"  signifies  religion,  and  Christianity  was  commonly  referred  to. 
as  "Tien  chu  kau."  Unfortunately,  there  is  a  Chinese  word  re- 
sembling "chu,"  which  means  "pig" ;  "kiau"  means  "squeak,"  and 
the  subtle  Chinese  promptly  translated  "Tien  chu  kau"  as  "Squeak 
of  the  Celestial  Pig,"  a  term  seized  upon  by  the  ignorant  millions 
with  great  satisfaction. 

Greater  than  all  else  in  establishing  the  native  suspicion,  hatred 
and  scorn  towards  Christianity  and  its  converts  is  the  western  disap- 
proval of  ancestor  worship.  An  educated  Chinaman  will  laugh  at 
Buddhism  or  Taoism,  but  the  reverence  for  ancestors  imparted  by 
Confucianism  is  the  profound  passion  of  his  life. 


424  THE  GREAT  WAR  IN  THE  EAST. 

It  is  a  moot  question  whether  the  practices  of  ancestor  reverence 
are  idolatrous  or  merely  reverential,  religious  or  social.  Early  in  the 
effort  to  Christianize  China  the  Pope  pronounced  against  the  prac- 
tices. The  same  stand  was  taken  by  the  Protestant  churches.  Conse- 
quently the  subject  remains  to-day  practically  an  insurmountable 
barrier  between  Christian  and  pagan.  All  doubt  as  to  the  part  west- 
ern disregard  for  ancestry  played  in  bringing  on  the  Boxer  crisis 
of  1900  will  be  set  at  rest  by  reviewing  the  Chinese  declaration  of 
neutrality  at  the  outbreak  of  the  Japanese-Russian  war. 

SACRED  TOMBS   AT   MUKDEN    TO   BE   RESPECTED. 

To  the  people  of  the  Occident  the  Chinese  government's  solemn  an- 
nouncement that  it  would  agree  to  remain  neutral  on  condition  that 
the  sanctity  of  the  ancestral  tombs  at  Mukden  was  respected  by  both 
Japan  and  Russia  was  simply  a  quaint  sample  of  Orientalism.  To 
the  people  of  China,  and  to  the  reigning  dynasty  in  particular,  it  was 
a  highly  important  matter.  In  a  country  where  ancestor  worship  pre- 
vails, the  idea  of  making  a  diplomatic  issue  on  such  a  question  is 
by  no  means  as  fanciful  as  it  appears  to  western  minds. 

The  urgency  of  the  demand  can  be  better  understood  when  it  is 
remembered  that  the  entire  country  surrounding  Mukden  is  insepara- 
bly associated  with  the  history  of  the  reigning  dynasty,  and  in  Man- 
chu  eyes  is  especially  holy.  China,  as  has  been  pointed  out,  is  ruled, 
not  by  Chinese,  but  by  men  of  Tartar  descent — the  Manchus — who 
until  the  seventeenth  century  occupied  the  northeastern  part  of  the 
present  empire.  The  present  Emperor  of  China  belongs  to  a  dynasty 
which  is  traceable  back  to  1559,  when  a  leader  of  his  race  arose  to 
power  and  gave  his  fellow  tribesmen  the  name  of  Manchu,  which 
means  "pure."  When  this  tribe  overran  its  boundaries  in  1644  and 
waged  war  upon  the  Chinese,  it  seized  and  established  a  throne  at 
Pekin,  but  it  lost  nothing  of  its  traditional  reverence  for  the  tombs 
and  holy  cities  left  behind.  Mukden  itself,  for  instance,  is  closely 
associated  with  Nurhachu,  who,  according  to  Manchu  history,  was 


THE  BOXER  UPRISING.  425 

himself  seventh  in  descent  from  Aisin  Gioro  Bnknli,  the  personage 
who  is  said  to  have  owed  his  birth  to  a  miracle  and  is  the  putative 
founder  of  the  present  dynasty. 

TRADITIONS    IMPORTANT    TO-DAY. 

These  traditions,  centuries  old,  are  quite  as  much  realities  to  the 
Manchu  or  Chinaman  of  to-day  as  any  question  of  trade  rights  or 
commercial  interests.  They  asserted  themselves  during  the  Boxer 
troubles  and  again  at  the  time  when  the  railway  was  constructed 
through  Mukden,  when  the  Manchu  officials  objected  vigorously  on 
the  ground  that  the  spikes  in  the  railway  ties  would  break  the  back- 
bone of  the  dragon  which  is  supposed  to  encircle  the  holy  city.  The 
tangible  revival  of  the  superstitions  during  the  Japo-Russian  war 
imparted  a  bizarre  interest  to  the  struggle  by  which  east  and  west, 
Europe  and  Asia,  were  brought  into  conflict. 

MISSIONARIES    CHARGED   WITH    BEWITCHING    CHILDREN. 

Reverting  from  this  digression  to  the  Boxer  himself,  we  find  that 
serious  anti-Christian  disturbances  began  in  1891,  when  missionaries 
were  charged  with  bewitching  children.  Missions  were  plundered, 
murders  committed,  and  finally  a  number  of  German  priests  were 
slain.  This  was  followed  by  the  seizure  of  the  port  of  Tsin  Tau 
by  the  Germans.  From  that  time  on  dates  the  Chinese  fear  that 
they  and  their  land  were  considered  the  natural  field  for  plunder  by  all 
the  world.  The  Boxers,  sworn  to  vengeance  upon  all  foreigners  and 
Christians,  and  buoyed  up  by  religious  fanaticism  and  the  belief  that 
they  were  proof  against  all  firearms  and  that  nothing  could  stand 
against  their  swords  and  incantations,  gathered  thousands  of  adher- 
ents. Slowly  a  reign  of  terror  spread  throughout  the  vast  empire, 
accompanied  by  pillage,  arson,  murder  and  indescribable  cruelties. 

DOWAGER   EMPRESS   AND   OFFICIALS   AIDED   BOXERS. 

High  Chinese  officials  were  divided  on  the  question  of  supporting 
or  suppressing  the  Boxers.     In  October  of  1899  an  army  was  sent 


426  THE  GREAT  WAR  IN  THE  EAST. 

against  the  Boxers.  It  defeated  and  scattered  them.  The  leaders  of 
this  army  were  disciplined  for  having  attacked  and  massacred  "a  con- 
gregation of  honest  country  folk."  This  encouragement  precipitated 
a  reign  of  anarchy  that  spread  throughout  the  great  empire  and  con- 
tinued until  the  foreigners  at  Pekin,  the  seat  of  government,  were 
besieged  in  the  legation  enclosures,  the  Chinese  court  had  taken  flight 
to  the  interior  and  railroads  and  everything  else  of  an  Occidental 
nature  had  been  destroyed.  No  ground  for  doubt  exists  as  to  the 
secret  encouragement  given  the  Boxers  by  the  Dowager  Empress, 
yet  so  skillfully  did  Chinese  diplomacy  operate  in  the  crisis  that  after 
the  armies  of  the  allies  had  marched  upon  and  taken  Pekin  the  Chi- 
nese court  was  reinstated  with  little  loss  of  prestige  beyond  that  due 
to  knowledge  of  sanctified  palaces  and  temples  desecrated  by  foreign 
soldiers,  adventurers  and  treasure-seekers  and  enormous  indemnities 
to  be  paid. 

UNITED   STATES   SAVES    CHINA. 

It  is  a  matter  of  particular  interest  at  this  time  that  American,  Jap- 
anese and  Russian  troops  marched  almost  side  by  side  during  that 
campaign,  and  that  it  was  the  United  States,  traditionally  China's 
friend,  that  saved  the  ancient  empire  from  division  among  the 
greedy  nations  as  the  spoils  of  war.  To  be  true,  some  of  the  powers 
dealt  sharply  with  China  in  the  matter  of  indemnity,  particularly 
Russia,  but  the  entity  of  the  empire  remained  through  the  good  offices 
of  the  United  States. 

ALLIES    PROVE    VICTORS. 

The  campaign  of  the  allies  and  the  historic  march  of  the  armies  of 
half  a  dozen  powers  upon  Tien  Tsin  and  Pekin,  to  the  relief  of  the 
besieged  embassies,  are  of  too  recent  occurrence  to  require  detailed 
treatment  here.  Hordes  of  Chinese,  equipped  only  with  superstition, 
antiquated  weapons  and  a  hatred  born  of  injustice  and  fear,  could 
never  hope  to  prevail  against  even  a  small  army  of  modern,  scien- 
tifically equipped  soldiery.  Mere  numbers  have  never  prevailed 
against  superior  intelligence  and  military  equipment.     They  did  not 


THE  BOXER  UPRISING.  427 

on  that  occasion;  and  so  the  capital  and  sacred  palaces  fell,  the  refu- 
gees were  rescued  and  the  Boxer  movement  collapsed,  leaving  poor 
old  China  to  pay  the  bill  entailed  by  the  futile  demonstration. 

The  Boxer  and  the  Boxer  spirit  may  remain,  but  they  are  hidden  in 
the  secret  places,  marveling  at  the  injustice  that  rules  the  world  and 
the  blunders  of  their  strange  gods  in  permitting  the  hated,  despised  and 
greedy  barbarian  to  overcome  the  long-suffering  and  patient,  illus- 
trious and  chosen  people. 

CHINESE    VIEW    OF    FOREIGN    INVASION. 

The  popular  Chinese  view  of  the  foreigner  who  is  flocking  to  the 
land,  securing  all  the  valuable  concessions,  cutting  up  the  country 
with  railroads,  upsetting  tradition,  threatening  the  extinction  of  an- 
cient customs  and  looming  up  as  a  possible  future  ruler,  is  expressed 
in  the  following  excerpts  from  a  pamphlet  given  wide  circulation  be- 
fore the  Boxer  uprising: 

"Their  religion  is  such  as  China  never  had,  and  is  antagonistic  to 
the  doctrine  of  the  sages,  such  as  family  relations,  the  laws  of  benev- 
olence and  righteousness.  In  this  regard  these  religions  are  inferior 
to  Buddhism  and  Taoism.  Western  sciences  have  their  ancient  root 
in  Chinese  principles,  which  have  been  stolen  and  shrewdly  expanded. 
As  to  Occidentals,  their  chaos  has  just  begun  to  dissolve  and  their 
savagery  has  not  yet  changed.  They  have  no  loyalty,  no  family  rules, 
no  true  principles  of  sexual  relations,  no  literature,  and  no  truly  civi- 
lized society.  Because  their  land  is  narrow,  they  have  come  to  us 
searching  the  limits  of  our  land  for  their  own  gain.  In  the  matter 
of  skilful  search  into  the  secrets  of  the  earth  they  are  shrewder  than 
we,  but  they  do  this  simply  for  gain,  and  are  barbarians  still,  with  all 
their  industrial  skill.  They  seek  only  gain  from  our  country;  they 
aim  to  deceive  our  people,  to  surround  our  land,  to  disturb  our  na- 
tional laws  and  customs." 

Well? 

It  all  depends,  after  all,  on  how  one  looks  at  things. 


UNCLE  SAM  (IN  THE   DISTANCE)— "  IT  LOOKS  AS  IF  THE   WHOLE  BUNCH  WAS  GOING 

DOWN  TOGETHER." 

Drawn  by  Cartoonist  Maybell,  of  the  Brooklyn  Eagle. 

They  are  all  on  slippery  Ice  and  if  one  slips,  all  fall.    Although  Uncle  Sam  keeps  away  from  th* 
dangerous  situation,  he  is  Interested  in  the  outcome. 


CHAPTER  XXXIV. 
MYSTERIOUS  TIBET,  THE  FORBIDDEN  LAND. 

A  Land  of  Wandering  Shepherds  —  Viewed  from  an  English  Standpoint  —  Lofty 
Mountain  Ranges  and  Salt  Lakes — One-Third  Lamas,  Two-Thirds  Common 
People — The  Lamas  Oppose  Foreigners — Their  Widespread  Suspicion. 

THE  British  expedition  sent  from  India  into  Tibet  under  the 
command  of  Col.  Younghusband,  to  offset  Russian  influence, 
attracted  much  public  attention,  partly  because  Tibet  had 
been  a  country  closed  to  white  travelers,  and  consequently  very  little 
was  known  about  it,  and  partly  because  great  secrecy  had  been  main- 
tained about  this  latest  expedition,  so  fraught  with  the  possibility  of 
international  complications. 

A  LAND  OF  WANDERING  SHEPHERDS. 

In  1894,  W.  A.  L.  Fletcher,  the  English  writer,  accompanied  the 
St.  George  Littledale  expedition  into  Tibet.  The  object  was,  if  pos- 
sible, to  reach  Lhassa.  That,  however,  the  Lhassa  authorities  pre- 
vented, but  they  failed  to  stop  the  expedition  until  it  had  arrived 
at  a  point  forty-eight  miles  north  of  the  capital.  The  journey  cov- 
ered about  1,700  miles  of  Tibet.  The  party  entered  Tibet  from 
the  north,  starting  from  a  small  village  called  Cherchen,  which  is 
almost  due  north  of  Lhassa.  They  traveled  due  south  until  within 
forty-eight  miles  of  that  town.  From  that  point  they  were  obliged 
to  retrace  their  steps  twelve  days,  and  then  go  due  west  into  Ladak. 

They  entered  the  country  on  April  16,  traveling  through  uninhabited 

429 


Aio  THE  GREAT  WAR  IN  THE  EAST. 

territory  until  June  26.  On  that  day  at  latitude  33  degrees  12  min- 
utes north,  and  longitude  88  degrees  12  minutes  east,  they  first  saw 
the  inhabitants  of  the  country.  From  then  onward  they  saw  men,  or 
signs  of  them,  every  day;  but  they  were  all  wandering  shepherds, 
who  in  winter  take  their  flocks  to  lower  ground,  south  of  the  Ninchen 
Tangla  range,  which  lies  about  ninety  miles  north  of  Lhassa,  and 
they  only  come  up  north  during  the  summer  months. 

VIEWED    FROM    AN    ENGLISH   STANDPOINT. 

Writing  of  this  tour  of  inquiry  into  the  Forbidden  Land,  Mr. 
Fletcher  has  given  the  world  this  decidedly  English  view  of  Tibet, 
the  scene  of  diplomatic  strife  between  China,  England  and  Russia, 
and  perhaps  the  theater  of  another  great  war  as  the  result  of  the 
efforts  of  Briton  and  Russ  to  wrest  Tibet  from  the  nominal  control 
of  China. 

LOFTY    MOUNTAIN    RANGES    AND    SALT    LAKES. 

"The  north  of  Tibet  is  barren,  uninhabited,  and  unmapped,  inter- 
sected by  vast  mountain  ranges  running  east  and  west.  The  highest 
which  we  crossed  was  the  Ninchen  Tangla,  ninety  miles  north  of 
Lhassa.  The  height  of  the  pass,  named  the  Goring  La,  was  19,587 
feet  above  the  level  of  the  sea.  Owing  to  the  complete  absence  of 
roads,  in  the  northern  part  at  any  rate,  all  baggage  and  impedimenta 
must  be  carried  on  the  backs  of  animals.  Yak  are  chiefly  used  for 
that  purpose,  and  are  especially  good  in  Tibet,  where  the  altitude  is 
so  great. 

METHODS    OF    TRAVEL. 

"The  yak  is  indigenous  to  the  country,  and  never  is  found  in  a 
wild  state,  except  at  great  altitudes.  He  can  carry  from  160  to  240 
pounds,  but  since  the  Tibetans  do  not  shoe  them,  they  are  subject  to 
sore  feet  and  are  unable  to  go  long  distances  day  after  day.  Horses, 
mules  and  sheep  are  used"  as  pack  animals.  The  latter  carry  from 
20  to  30  pounds. 

"We  saw  great  flocks  of  sheep  in  charge  of  very  few  men,  carrying 


TIBET,  THE  FORBIDDEN  LAND.  431 

Salt.  The  salt  they  collect  on  the  shores  of  the  large  lakes,  the  water 
of  which  is  absolutely  undrinkable.  At  a  distance  the  shores  of  these 
lakes  look  as  if  they  were  covered  with  ice  and  snow,  but  on  inspec- 
tion they  are  found  to  be  covered  with  salt.  Most  of  the  lakes  show 
distinct  signs  that  at  some  time  or  other  they  were  much  larger 
than  they  are  now.  In  some  instances  we  could  trace  on  the  mountain 
sides  the  old  water  level,  some  100  feet  or  more  above  the  present 
water  level. 

FREE  FROM   FOREIGN  INVASION. 

"Tibet  being  one  of  the  few  countries  in  the  world  which  have 
been  able  to  keep  the  European  out  of  its  capital,  the  question  is  fre- 
quently asked,  why  and  how  do  they  manage  to  do  it?  The  reasons 
the  Lamas  gave  to  us  were  based  purely  on  religious  grounds.  They 
frequently  declared  that  'no  one  of  your  religion  is  allowed  in  Tibet.' 

ONE-THIRD   LAMAS,   TWO-THIRDS    COMMON    PEOPLE. 

"About  one-third  of  the  population  are  Lamas,  who  are  supported 
by  the  remaining  two-thirds  of  the  population.  The  head  Lamas, 
being  woefully  ignorant  of  the  outside  world,  have  a  great  belief  in 
the  power  of  Tibet  as  a  nation;  but,  at  the  same  time,  I  believe 
they  quite  appreciate  the  fact  that  the  process  we  call  civilization 
develops  in  the  following  order :  First  comes  the  explorer,  then  the 
missionary,  and  last,  but  not  least,  comes  the  army,  with  civilization 
in  due  course  behind  it.  The  Lamas  understood  that,  with  the  advent 
of  civilization,  the*  laymen  in  the  country  will  realize  that  there  are 
other  objects  in  life  besides  and  even  beyond  Lamas;  and,  naturally, 
from  their  point  of  view,  the  Lamas  have  no  desire  that  the  minds 
of  the  laymen  should  thus  be  widened,  for  when  that  takes  place  the 
Lamas  will  find  that  their  worldly  supplies  will  gradually  be  lessened. 

THE    LAMAS   OPPOSE    FOREIGNERS. 

"The  remainder  of  the  population  would,  I  believe,  welcome  any 
change,  and  would  be  quite  ready  to  allow  Europeans  to  come  and 
go  at  will.    As  things  are  at  present,  however,  they  dare  not  help  any 


432  THE  GREAT  WAR  IN  THE  EAST. 

European  traveler  with  food  or  information,  under  the  penalty  of 
losing  their  heads.  The  Tibetan  by  himself  we  found  a  very  nice 
fellow,  and  quite  ready  to  help  us  as  far  as  he  dared;  but  on  the 
arrival  of  any  of  the  Lamas,  or  kushoks,  the  latter  being  officials,  he 
withdrew  into  his  shell  at  once. 

"The  kushoks  receive  no  pay  with  their  appointment,  but  have,  on 
the  contrary,  to  make  large  presents,  in  the  form  of  sheep  or  yak,  to 
the  man  who  gave  them  the  post.  It  is  quite  needless  to  remark  that 
under  these  circumstances  >they  make  what  they  can  out  of  the  natives. 

WIDESPREAD    SUSPICION    OF   THE    LAMAS. 

"During  the  time  we  were  among  the  natives  we  bought  a  large 
amount  of  stores  and  some  fifty  horses,  for  all  of  which  we  paid  very 
high  prices.  Unfortunately,  we  had  to  pay  the  money  to  the  Lamas, 
and  we  had  every  reason  to  believe  that  the  owners  received  very  lit- 
tle, if  any,  of  the  money.  The  Lamas  look  with  great  suspicion  upon 
each  other's  integrity — so  much  so,  that  we  were  never  allowed  to  see 
any  one  individual  of  the  three  head  Lamas  with  whom  we  were 
negotiating  unless  the  other  two  were  present.  They  have  also  a 
very  wholesome  dread  of  poison.  It  is  an  understood  custom  in  the 
country  for  the  host  to  partake  first  of  any  refreshment  before  offer- 
ing it  to  his  guest.  They  were  quite  surprised  when  told  that  in 
Europe  poisoning  was  looked  upon  as  one  of  the  most  horrible  of 
crimes.  In  spite  of  these  failings,  they  say  a  great  many  prayers  dur- 
ing the  day. 


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